International Tiger Day 2025: India Leads Global Conservation Efforts
Syllabus: Environment & Ecology, Important Days (UPSC Prelims)
Source: NDTV
Context:
India celebrated International Tiger Day on July 29, 2025, showcasing its conservation success—housing 75% of the world’s wild tiger population across 58 tiger reserves.
About International Tiger Day
- What Is It?
A global observance held every July 29 to raise awareness on tiger conservation, habitat protection, and the urgent threats facing wild tiger populations. - Established In:
2010, during the Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia with participation from 13 tiger-range countries, including India. - Purpose:
- Highlights issues like habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.
- Tracks progress towards the Tx2 Goal: doubling the global wild tiger population by 2022.
- Celebrates conservation milestones and collaborative efforts.
India’s Tiger Conservation Journey
- Project Tiger (Launched in 1973):
- Started with 9 tiger reserves, now expanded to 58.
- Managed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- Reserves now cover nearly 2% of India’s land area.
- Achievements:
- Tiger numbers increased from ~1,400 in 2006 to 3,682 in 2024.
- India achieved the Tx2 target ahead of schedule.
- Tigers now inhabit 138,200 sq. km of forests shared with ~60 million people.
Ecological Importance of Tigers
- Act as apex predators, maintaining herbivore balance.
- Tiger habitats support broader biodiversity, aid in climate resilience, and function as carbon sinks.
- Forests also act as water catchments, supporting agriculture and rural livelihoods.
India’s Global Role in Tiger Conservation
- India hosts 75% of the global wild tiger population, though it holds only 18% of tiger habitat worldwide.
- Its model—based on science-based management, legal safeguards, and community involvement—is now being adopted by other tiger-range nations.
