Every year, July 29 is celebrated as International Tiger Day to raise awareness about the gradual decline of their population 
Every year, July 29 is celebrated as International Tiger Day to raise awareness about the gradual decline of their population Every year, July 29 is celebrated as International Tiger Day to raise awareness about the gradual decline of their population. According to the tiger census report, released by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar, India has 70 per cent of the world's tiger population.
According to Javdekar, in 1973, there were just nine tiger reserves which have now increased to 50 in the country. In 2019, PM Modi released the tiger estimation report as per which, India recorded 2,967 tigers, more than double the number from 1,411 in 2006.
Tigers play a pivotal role in the health and diversity of an ecosystem. They are a top predator that is at the apex of the food chain. Their diet maintains the balance between herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed. Therefore, the presence of tigers in the forest is an indicator of the well being of the ecosystem. The extinction of this top predator is an indication that its ecosystem is not sufficiently protected, and neither would it exist for long thereafter.
WHY IS GLOBAL TIGER DAY CELEBRATED?
The decision to celebrate the day was taken at the Saint Petersburg Declaration on Tiger conservation that was signed in 2010. This year, the Global Tiger Day is celebrated with the slogan, "Their survival is in our hands".
WHY POPULATION OF TIGERS DECLINING?
The key reason behind the decline in tigers populations is poaching, climate change, and habitat loss. According to the World Wildlife Fund, since the beginning of the 20th century, around 95 per cent of the tigers have disappeared.
TIGERS IN INDIA
In India, Corbett Tiger Reserve has the highest population of big cats at 231, followed by Nagarhole and Bandipore reserves in Karnataka with 127 and 126 tigers respectively. Assam's Kaziranga and Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh recorded 104 tigers each, according to a report of the fourth All India Tiger Estimation 2018.
Mizoram, West Bengal and Jharkhand are the three reserves with zero traces of tigers. Currently, the tiger population within the reserves is 1,923.
According to the report, in the state-wise distribution of tigers, Madhya Pradesh was found with maximum tigers at 526 followed by Karnataka at 524 and 442 in Uttarakhand.
"Despite India's constraint of 2.5 per cent of global land, 4 per cent of rainfall and 16 per cent of world's human population, India is home to 8 per cent of world's biodiversity which includes 70 per cent of world's tiger population," the environment minister said.
TIGERS IN WORLD
World Wildlife Fund said around 3,900 tigers remain in the wild across the globe. A WWF report says that about 100 years ago, there may have been over 100,000 tigers that roamed the planet.
There are currently 13 tiger range countries- India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TIGERS
1. No two tigers have the same stripes. Like human fingerprints, their stripe patterns are unique to each individual.
2. An adult tiger can consume up to 88 pounds of meat in one meal.
3. The average lifespan of a wild tiger is 10 - 15 years. But on rare occasions, they have been known to live up to 26 years in the wild.
4. Unlike most big cats, tigers are powerful swimmers and have been known to swim great distances to hunt or cross rivers.
5. A tiger's hind legs are longer than its front legs, giving them the ability to leap forward 20 - 30 feet in one jump.
6. Tigers have large, padded, feet that make it easier for them to silently stalk their prey.
7. It's estimated that tiger hunts are only successful about one in every 10 to 20 attempts.
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