International Tiger Day 2018 observed today!

International Tiger Day, also known as Global Tiger Day, is celebrated annually on July 29 to raise awareness for tiger conservation. It was formed in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia with the goal to bring worldwide attention to the dwindling numbers of tigers and their plight. This is the eighth annual International Tiger Day.

The primary goal behind International Tiger Day is to promote a global environment to protect the natural habitats of tigers and support for issues pertaining to conservation of tigers.

India has a leading role to play in tiger conservation as the nation is home to about 70 per cent of the tiger population in the world. India proudly hosts 2,226 out of 3,890 big cats in the world.

In 2006, there were 1,411 big cats, which increased to 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226 in 2014. Around 97 per cent of the world tiger population perished in the last 100 years and as per the latest statistics.

Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Bhutan, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, China, Malaysia, Russia, Nepal and Myanmar are among the few countries that have wild tigers. There are around 49 tiger reserves across India with a total area of 71,027.10 km2.