INTERNATIONAL TIGER DAY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Env & Eco)

Context: New research from Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organisation, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified Bangladesh as a previously unrecognised and major hub in the illicit poaching and trafficking of endangered tigers.

Key Points

• Bangladesh was found to supply tiger parts to 15 countries, including to Bangladeshi expatriates living overseas.
• India, China and Malaysia lead the pack in demand, followed by developed G20 nations ranging from the United Kingdom and Germany to Australia and Japan.
• Scientists identified four source sites from which tigers were poached, including the Sundarbans extending across India and Bangladesh, India’s Kaziranga-Garampani Parks, Myanmar’s Northern Forest Complex and India’s Namdapha-Royal Manas Parks.
• Southeast Asia has been identified as ground zero for tiger poaching, but study shows that tiger poaching still remains the most significant threat to the species.

International Tiger Day

• About: It is celebrated every year on 29th July.
• Origin: International Tiger Day was first celebrated in 2010 after it was found that 97% of all wild tigers had disappeared in the last century, with about only 3,000 of them remaining. 
• Aim: To halt the numbers from worsening. Along with the preservation of these species, the day also aims to protect and expand their habitats.