2022 is the Year of the Tiger: we celebrate this wonderful feline that is fighting for its survival

The Year of the Tiger has just begun, but how are we with the conservation of this majestic feline? The tiger population is increasing in the wild, but too much effort is needed to protect them

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

We officially entered theYear of the Tiger, or at least according to the Chinese horoscope. To be more precise it is the year of the "Water Tiger", a rare combination that every 60 years. This majestic feline has always been considered a symbol of courage, strength and determination. However, these animals in nature are not doing very well and still have to fight for their survival, forced to face numerous challenges: habitat fragmentation, exploitation in zoos and circuses and consequences of the climate crisis. But there is good news: the decline of tigers is on the decline across much of the world, as confirmed by the WWF.

In WWF's latest Impact on Tiger Recovery 2010-2022 report, which summarizes a decade of tiger conservation efforts, comes comforting data on tiger population growth.

Read also: Tiger Farms: the cruel business that makes these felines count more dead than alive

The comforting data on tigers

In general the total number of tigers living in the wild is increasing, but the distribution area has continued to decrease and today the tigers are now confined to an area equal to 5% of the historical range.

In the previous year of the Tiger, 2010, the Global Tiger Initiative was born and the first Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg was convened. The initiative triggered an international collaboration between the governments of the 13 countries of the world where tigers live. This event represented a turning point in the history of tiger conservation and an important political commitment.

Among the good news, also included in the report just published by the WWF, is the birth of thehe largest protected area in the world dedicated to the tiger and a national park in Russia called Leopard Land, where the number of tigers has tripled. In addition, the paper explains how the use of the Spatial Monitoring and Report Tool (SMART) and other conservation measures in Bhutan's Royal Manas National Park have led to a doubling in the number of tigers since 2012.

The report also features the Khata Forest Conservation Area, which has grown from just 115 hectares of forest to 3.800, involving more than 6.000 community members and land stewards. This corridor between India and Nepal, recently awarded for excellence in conservation, has been crossed by 46 tigers in the last five years.

But there are still too many threats to these big cats

Advances in tiger conservation have been and must be celebrated, but these are often fragile and not entirely uniform milestones across all areas of Asia. For example, tigers are undergoing an alarming decline in Malaysia and Cambodia, while in Laos and Vietnam these felines are virtually extinct.

As we reflect on the decade of action taken to protect tigers, let's not forget that these extraordinary felines are still critically threatened by poaching and habitat loss. - emphasizes Margaret Kinnaird, leader of the WWF Wildlife Practice - If we want this increase to continue, governments need to do more, particularly in parts of Southeast Asia.

A crucial event for the conservation of the species will be the 2nd Global Tiger Summit on September 5, 2022 scheduled in Vladivostock, Russia. Heads of state and ministers from countries within the tiger distribution area will meet with other world leaders and intergovernmental bodies, NGOs and conservation experts to develop the next phase of the global tiger recovery plan.

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Source: WWF