All around the world, tigers are known and respected as one of the largest and most ferocious of the big cats. They are known for their dark vertical stripes on orange fur and for being an apex predator that preys mainly on wild boars and deer. They’re also known for being solitary and territorial animals that require a large amount of habitat to support cub rearing and their hunting habits.

Throughout history, tigers have been considered by many cultures to be a symbol of courage, strength, and dignity. It’s no wonder that someone has gone ahead and created a whole holiday that celebrates these animals. This holiday is known as International Tiger Day and it’s observed annually on July 29th.

The History of International Tiger Day

This holiday was first created in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, where 13 tiger-range countries all came together to discuss how tiger populations could be saved. At the time, it was discovered that approximately 9 out of 10 of all wild tigers that had existed over the past century had disappeared. Currently, tigers are in danger of extinction. In 2023, there were only about 13,000 tigers left in the world, but only about 5,000 of them are left in the wild. The rest are in captivity.

Observing International Tiger Day

This is a holiday that everyone in the world should observe. While some people might not think that the continued survival of tigers is a concern to them, the fact of the matter is that these animals’ continued existence is important for all humans. They are apex predators, and as such, help to keep the herbivore populations in check.

This helps support the ecosystem and prevents it from collapsing in on itself. Another reason to protect tigers is that they are symbolic to a lot of different cultures, and their absence would be greatly missed. There’s an even bigger reason for protecting tigers than the ones we’ve mentioned, however.

The main reason is that in order to help tigers we have to address the larger conservation issues of deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, and global climate change. If we solve those issues, we can not only save tigers but a variety of other species as well. And, in the long run, by saving all of these different species, we end up saving ourselves in the process.

So, on this day, we encourage people to give money to legitimate conservation groups, to adopt a tiger (figuratively, not literally), and to educate friends and family members on the problems that tigers are currently facing. We also encourage people to spread the word about this holiday online by using the hashtag #InternationalTigerDay.