Today, July 29, is Global Tiger Day. It is a day set aside to honor and protect the most magnificent cat of all, the tiger (Panthera tigris).
The Situation
Tigers are in serious trouble. According to the best estimates from the big cat NGO Panthera, there are only about 3,900 tigers left in the wild. Furthermore, the species currently occupies only 6% of its historic range (Goodrich et al., 2015). For these reasons, tigers are listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The tiger’s dramatic decline, much of which occurred in the past 100 years, is the result of numerous factors. These include: habitat loss and fragmentation, human-tiger conflict (related both to attacks on livestock and human safety), and the overhunting of tigers’ natural prey (Panthera).
However, most damaging of all has been poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. Tigers are hunted both for use in traditional Asian medicine (TAM) and to provide status symbols to the growing middle class in countries like China and Vietnam.
Products such as tiger bone wine are believed to increase consumers’ health and treat a range of ailments (including as arthritis), although there is no evidence to support such claims. Since it is expensive, tiger bone wine is also purchased to show off one’s high standing. The same goes for tiger skins. They serve as an expensive form of decoration for the elite, and are sometimes given as gifts (Sharif, 2014).
More information about the demand for illegal wildlife products can be found in Vian Sharif’s excellent report Analysis of Conservation Initiatives Aimed at Reducing Demand for Traded Wildlife in China and Vietnam.
Tendrel Zangmo: The First Collared Tiger of Bhutan – Great Video
Fortunately, there are people who are working hard to turn the tide for tigers. A friend on Facebook sent me a neat video about tiger conservation in Bhutan, produced by the Bhutan Foundation. It does a good job of explaining some of the work being done there, and it does so in six short minutes. Here is the video:
Get Involved
If you would like to help tigers on this Global Tiger Day, there are plenty of ways to do so. Many conservation organizations are using this occasion to raise money for their crucial work.
Whilst there are a host of groups that are worth supporting (such as the Wildlife Conservation Society), I chose to donate to Panthera. There are two reasons for this.
First, they are strategically focused on tackling the most severe threat to wild tigers: poaching. Panthera bolsters law enforcement efforts throughout Asia in a variety of ways, which you can read about here.
Second, when I was in Belize last summer Panthera’s employees were remarkably kind and patient with me. I can therefore assure you that they hire some of the best people around.
Closing Thoughts
Happy Global Tiger Day! Please take a few minutes to learn more about this magnificent cat, and to support their conservation!
Further Reading:
Panthera tigris – IUCN Red List
Review: Analysis of Conservation Initiatives Aimed at Reducing Demand for Traded Wildlife
The Tiger: The Most Magnificent Cat of All
Tiger – Panthera
The Jaguar 
Those numbers are so disheartening, but the video was beautiful. I especially resonated with how the team relied not just on technology, but on their own spiritual practices for support. Keep up the good and important work of sharing these issues (and solutions) through your site – our world needs people like you!
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The video was indeed great. We’re too obsessed with technology in the US, assuming it will solve all of our problems; we forget that the production of technology is in itself a major source of environmental and social degradation. What we really need is a reworking of our dominant social and cultural systems, which starts with changing our central values.
The world needs people who are much more influential than I, but I appreciate your support!
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Thanks again!
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Wonderful article! I admire, adore and revere tigers, such magnificent creatures.
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They are absolutely incredible: miracles of evolution.
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Have you seen a tiger in the wild? I only hope they can survive despite human greed, superstition and destruction to habitats.
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No, I’ve never been to any places where tigers live. I’d love to see them one day, though.
For tigers to survive, we need to reduce the demand for products made from them. Luckily there are people working on that in countries like China.
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Those numbers break my heart. Thank you for this in depth description–learning something new everyday!
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They are indeed bleak numbers. But they can improve with dedication, effort, and time.
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Happy global tiger day. We took part in it at Hamerton Zoo Park today. Sold a whole bunch of our partners cat toys with all proceeds going to the tiger conservation. :)
4cats has even made a tiger size toy for the ones in the zoo. ^^
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Awesome, Marc, I’m happy to hear about your cat toy sales!
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:-) was a lot of fun to see the big cats in the wild life park as well. They do a lot of enrichment for them there.
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That’s good to hear! My local zoo just spent lots of money on new exhibits for its tigers and snow leopards, although I’ve yet to see them! I’m hoping they update their outdated cheetah and Persian leopard exhibits too.
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Ooooh if you go and get nice photos you’d be most welcome to do a guest post on our blog.
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I’ll definitely keep that in mind. Unfortunately I probably won’t be able to make it there until December, because I’m going to be too busy before that.
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No worries. Let us know if you manage. And of course you’d always be most welcome to share other cat content on our site. Large or small felines. ;)
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So important!
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Yes it is!
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Happy Global Tiger Day! It shocked me to read the amount of tigers left in the wild. The reasons tigers are killed are ridiculous and it really needed to change because it’s getting to a point of too late.
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The reasons tigers are being killed are ridiculous, aren’t they? The situation for tigers is seriously alarming, but there are bright spots. In some areas with intensive law enforcement and anti-poaching efforts, tiger populations have rebounded. That’s why it’s so important to get poaching under control.
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That’s good to hear! And yeah, it needs to be controlled at a faster rate though.
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Much faster.
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Good cause! Ever since I had the privilege of seeing tigers in the wild in India in 2008, I have supported a tiger conservation charity via the Zoological Society of London, aka London Zoo.
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Good for you! How remarkable that you were actually able to see tigers in the wild!
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Those numbers are heartbreaking.
I wonder how exactly did they get to the conclusion that the bones were of medicinal value… I mean what ?
some of these traditions are sucking the life out of this planet urgh !
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Who knows, these beliefs go back thousands of years. Chances are someone just made it up one day, because tigers are big and powerful.
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ikr that’s probably how it all started and now it’s an absolute headache.
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