On July 29, people around the world observe International Tiger Day to raise awareness about the conservation of the wild cat. In the past 150 years, the population of wild cats has drastically decreased by almost 95%. Currently, the total number of tigers living in the wild across the globe is estimated to be around 3,900, according to World Wildlife (WWF). Numerous organisations are working to stop tiger habitat degradation, poaching, the illicit wildlife trade, and conflicts between people and wildlife. Climate change is another factor that has posed a threat to the tiger population around the world. International Tiger Day aims to bring together individuals, groups, communities and governments to join hands to save tigers.
Here are some interesting facts about tigers:
- They are the largest wild cats in the world. An adult tiger can weigh up to 363 kilograms and measure over three metres.
- Each tiger has a unique stripe pattern. Most of the cat species have stripes on their fur and skin. Individual tigers are identified by their distinctive stripes and counted using camera trap photos to estimate population numbers.
- There are currently five different tiger subspecies- the Bengal tiger, the South China tiger, the Indochinese tiger, the Sumatran tiger, and the Amur tiger, often called the Siberian tiger. Unfortunately, the Javan, Bali, and Caspian tiger subspecies are extinct.
- A tiger's roar can be heard from three kilometres away.
- Tigers can communicate by using their ears. A tigress communicates with her offspring by using the white dots on the back of her ears. They serve as a flasher for the cubs. When a tigress flattens her ears in warning of impending danger, the cubs respond by hiding.
- For a tiger, a large deer can provide a week's food.
- Tigers have existed for a longer time than humans- roughly two million years. However, since last century, the effects of human development have resulted in a 97% drop in the tiger population.
