WORLD TIGER DAY is on July 29 — a day to celebrate some of the world's most fascinating big cats and raise awareness about their urgent need for conservation.
Today, let's look more closely at the largest of them all — the Siberian tiger.
Siberian (or Amur) tigers live primarily in the forests of eastern Siberia, and have adapted well to its harsh climate, offering the lowest human density and vastest roaming terrain for any tiger. They are the largest subspecies of tiger, with the thickest fur to protect against the cold climate. Their coats are muter than other subspecies, helping them blend into darker areas. A recent study of Siberian tigers even showed that they have unique personalities, from “gentleness” to “majesty” that help them survive in the wild.
Today, there are about 400 to 500 Siberian tigers remaining in the wild — a rather remarkable estimation considering overhunting in the 1930s led to a catastrophic decline in their population. At one point, there were fewer than 30 individuals known to exist. Because of this amazing recovery, Siberian tigers offer an important lesson for tiger reintroduction. In places like Cambodia and Kazakhstan, where tigers have gone functionally extinct, there is hope for programs working to reintroduce this key species. As more tigers are reintroduced back into the wild, so too can other species return.
Despite their remarkable recovery, tigers are not immune to the threats of extinction. Sadly, ongoing human activity, particularly hunting and retaliation killings, only hurt their chances of survival.
This WORLD TIGER DAY, help this ENDANGERED species recover, survive and thrive.
