The world’s tiger population fell by 97% in the last century from 100000 to 3500. These big cats that resemble beauty, strength, and magnificence are falling prey to what we humans call as ‘development’.

Today, tigers no longer exist in Java or Bali. The tiger population is now fragmented into parts of Southeast Asia, China, and the far eastern parts of Russia. These natural predators are increasingly competing with expanding human greed for survival.

Tigers need their natural habitat to survive. But due to our ever  increasing growing population and our need for land, the wildlife is fast disappearing. Tigers, along with many other wild animals, are pushed to smaller areas of land, making them even more vulnerable and leading to an increase in human-wildlife conflict.

Although in India, with its 50 tiger reserves, is home to 70 percent (2,226 in 2014)  of tigers in the world, they are battling for already scarce resources and degradation of their habitat.

Where tigers thrive, food webs remain intact and ecosystems remain stable. And, When a top predator is removed from an ecosystem, the entire food chain in turn becomes affected and our ecosystem will no longer be sustainable. Where tigers succeed, the watersheds millions of people rely on can remain intact. Thus rendering importance to tiger conservation.

The existence of this courageous predator is a prerequisite to avoid the collapse of a forest ecosystem. Humanity relies heavily on balanced ecosystems for the pollination of plants, healthy soil and climate change.

So when we protect these primitive but formidable species we are also ensuring our own health and well-being.