July 29 is observed across the world as Global Tiger Day every year to raise awareness about the declining population of the tigers and making efforts to save them from going extinct.
The Global Tiger Day came into existence in 2010 in Russia during the signing of Saint Petersburg declaration by 13 tiger range countries. The Heads of the Governments of Tiger Range countries had resolved to double tiger numbers across their global range by 2022 by signing the St. Petersburg declaration on tiger conservation. It is estimated that the world had lost around 97 per cent of wild tigers in the last 100 years and currently, only 3,000 tigers are left alive across the world.
Meanwhile, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday (July 28) released the detailed report of the fourth All India Tiger Estimation- 2018. The number of tigers in India has increased by 741 within a span of four years, from 2014-18.
According to the report, there are five zones in the country that works for the conservation of the tigers--Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains Landscape, Central Indian Landscape and eastern ghats, Western ghats Landscape, North East Hills and Brahmaputra plains Landscape and the Sunderbans. In 2014, these five zones had 2,226 tigers which jumped to 2,967 in 2018.
Javadekar on Tuesday said that despite several constraints such as less landmass, India has 80 per cent of bio-diversity because our country has a culture of saving and preserving nature, trees and its wildlife. Noting that wildlife is our natural wealth, he said, it is praiseworthy that India has 70 per cent of the world’s tiger population. He also said that India is tirelessly working with all 13 tiger range countries towards nurturing the tiger.
During Global Tiger Day in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared to the world India’s fulfilment of its resolve to double tiger numbers, four years in advance to the target year of 2022 as decided during the St. Petersburg declaration on tiger conservation in Russia in 2010.
