International Tiger Day

July 29 – International Tiger Day.

Every year on July 29, the world celebrates International Tiger Day. This holiday was founded in 2010 at the International Forum "Tiger Summit", which was held in St. Petersburg. There were considered the measures on how to preserve this beautiful animal. The initiators of this day were 13 states that took part in the forum. Exactly on the territory of these states tigers live in the wild.

The main purpose of International Tiger Day is to disseminate information on the protection of these animals.

Unfortunately, no more than 5,000 individuals have survived in the wild, and this number continues to decline. Thus, over the last century, their number has decreased by 25 times. Nowadays, tigers are threatened with extinction. In most cases they fall victim to poachers. And this problem cannot but worry environmental communities around the world.

The main reasons for the decline in the population of striped predators are poaching and illegal trade in their teeth, fur and bones, which are used in traditional Asian medicine.

The tiger is the largest cat on the planet. Modern taxonomy distinguishes two subspecies instead of the previously recognized 9 subspecies, 3 of which have now disappeared. The animal is currently under international protection, listed in the IUCN Red List, and since 2014, hunting it has been banned worldwide. For example in China, the most severe punishment for killing a tiger is the death penalty.

Mykolaiv Zoo joins in celebration of this day. At the moment, our zoo keeps Siberian tigers (Lat. Panthera tigris altaica). These are two sisters named Penelopa and Agrypyna, they were born in 2005 in Mykolaiv Zoo. Tigers have been kept in our zoo since 1978. During this period about 70 cubs of this species were born.

Mykolaiv Zoo by keeping and successfully breeding Siberian tigers contributes to the preservation of these majestic predators. After all, reproduction of rare species of animals in zoos influences greatly on their conservation.

Тигр21

 

Тигр213