28/07/2025
Magnificent. Today is International World Tiger Day.
International World Tiger Day was established in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia, where leaders from 13 tiger-range countries committed to a collective goal of doubling the wild tiger population by 2022 (known as "Tx2").
Today draws global attention to the alarming decline in tiger populations (down to fewer than 4,000 in the wild from nearly 100,000 a century ago).
Tigers are undeniably one of nature's most breathtaking big cats facing critical threats in the wild.
The primary purpose is to raise awareness and gather support for tiger conservation by promoting conservation efforts and fostering collaboration on initiatives like protecting habitats, combating poaching, and monitoring tiger populations.
As apex predators, tigers are vital indicators of a healthy ecosystem.
Our shared responsibility is to highlight the critical threats tigers face in the wild and promote global efforts to protect them and their natural habitats.
What are the critical threats?
• Habitat Loss: Due to logging, development, and expansion of agriculture (like palm oil plantations), tiger habitats are shrinking.
• Poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trade: Tigers are hunted for their body parts, which are used in traditional medicine and for luxury items, despite no scientific evidence of their efficacy.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict: As human populations expand, tigers and humans come into closer contact, leading to conflicts that often result in tigers being killed.
• Climate Change: Affects tiger habitats and prey availability.
So how are “we” doing given it’s now 2025?
Well, to quote Biology Insights “Recent estimates from 2024 indicate a notable increase in the global wild tiger population, now at approximately 5,500 individuals.
This is a significant rise from the all-time low of about 3,200 recorded in 2010. This recovery, however, is not uniform across the tiger’s range, with progress concentrated in specific regions while other populations remain under threat.”
In 14 years, there has been an approximate increase of 2,300 reported tigers in the wild.
While it’s encouraging, it is a modest gain that serves as a reminder that substantial efforts are needed to secure a thriving future for these magnificent animals.
Photograph: Janosch Digglemann
