Femi OGUNLANA
Today, July 29, is annually celebrated as the Global Tiger Day otherwise known as the International Tiger Day.
Taking off in 2010, it is celebrated to raise awareness for tiger conservation.
It was realized that the tiger had become an endangered species and at the risk of going extinct, so, during the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia in 2010, July 29 every year was dedicated as the day to annually draw attention to the dwindling population of the majestic beast the world over.
Worldwide there are under 4000 tigers left in the wild, with India currently having the largest population of tigers, (about 2,967), according to a 2019 census, which is about 75% of the world population..
This is because tigers have lost 90 per cent of their natural habitats as due to many reasons.
However, India has been making conscious efforts to increase its tiger population.
Thus, “The goal of the day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues.”
According to Wikipedia, “The seventh annual Global Tiger Day (2017) was celebrated in various ways around the world.
“Local events have been organized in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India as well as non-tiger-range countries such as England and the United States. Some celebrities also participated by removing their social media profile photos.
“The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) continued its promotion of the “Double Tigers” campaign through investing in rangers. Several companies partnered with WWF to help raise awareness.”
Meanwhile, Africa is not a natural habitat for tigers, but the continent can join in the global celebration to help raise awareness about protecting its own indigenous wild animals like lions, leopards, elephants etc through the protection of their habitats and elimination of poaching.
