The number of tigers in the wild around the world have dropped by over 95 percent since the 20th century began. Shocking, but true.
Every year, July 29 is celebrated as the International Tiger Day to raise awareness around the need for tiger conservation around the globe. The global population of the magnificent big cat were declining for over a century.
Tigers have been severely affected by man-made problems like illegal poaching and wildlife trade, habitat loss and human conflict.
But 2021 is special because it is the first time in the history of tiger conservation that their numbers in the wild are on the rise.
As awareness increased, conservation efforts have reaped some rewards. The population of tigers globally today stands at 3,900.
Where are the tigers in the world today?
The tiger footprint has dramatically decreased and today their range is limited to only seven percent of the area they originally covered. Tigers today live in the wild in grasslands and isolated forests in 13 countries.
As per WWF, the population of tigers in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia and China is either stable or increasing as per best available information. However, tiger population is “still in crisis in some areas, including much of southeast Asia.”
India is home to 70 percent of the world’s tigers in the wild. On International Tiger Day 2021, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the country's commitment to the cause of tiger conservation.
Facts about tigers
- Tigers are categorised in two recognised subspecies. It is the largest Asian big cat.
- Sight and sound play a crucial part in hunting for tigers compared to smell. Tigers stalk their preys and mostly hunt alone.
- Tigers have stupendous diets and can eat over 22 kgs of meat in a single meal.
- Tigers give birth every two years and their litters typically two to four cubs. It no cubs survive, tigers can reproduce withing five months.
- Tigers become independent at around 2 years of age. Females become sexually mature at around three to four years of age while males attain the same at four to five years. They can live up to 20 years.
Work left to do
In an ambitious move, WWF has put forward a target to not just save the tiger but double its population to more than 6,000 by 2022, which is also the Chinese year of the Tiger.
However, a big problem his juvenile mortality in tigers with 50 percent of all cubs not surviving for more than two years.
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 "International Tiger Day 2021: History, significance, stats and interesting facts")
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