On International Tiger Day, here are some interesting & important facts about the wild cat

International Tiger Day is celebrated on July 29th every year. The day is celebrated with an aim to create awareness about the need for the conservation of tigers across the world. For more than 100 years, the population of the national animal has been extensively coming down. The major reason behind the fall in numbers is human activities, illegal poaching, trading, and habitat loss, to name a few. Notably, this is the first time in history that the number of tigers is slowly increasing. 

In the last 150 years, the population of tigers has come down by 95%, said the official data issued by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Today, the population of tigers globally stands at 3,900 only. However, WWF is aiming at increasing the number of tigers across the world by the next year.

Before tigers became a rare species, they used to freely roam across the forests of Asia. Unfortunately, the endangered species accounts for only seven per cent of the total population and is found only in dense forests and isolated areas in only 13 countries.

On International Tiger Day, check out these interesting facts about tigers:

Tigers are the most silent animals:

This fact may amuse you, but the big wild cat is indeed one of the calmest animals in the jungle. The tiger rarely roars and is always humble towards females and cubs.

Tigers can easily travel over 15 kilometres for nocturnal hunting:

Of all the other animals, the tiger is one such species that can travel over 15-20 kilometres during the night to hunt, WWF reports.

Tigers can imitate the sounds of other animals:

This fact may surprise you, but the wild cat can imitate the calls of other animals. Moreover, 'hunting by mimicry' is one of the famous traits of tigers. As per the wildlife reports, the tiger sometimes imitates the Sambar deer and makes a 'pook' sound to attract these animals.

Humans don't look delicious to tigers:

This fact may break the myth, but tigers do indeed attack humans only when they feel threatened. However, there are many reports of tigers killing humans, so staying away is the best solution. 

On International Tiger Day, know the importance of tigers

Tigers create a balance in the ecosystem:

Tigers play a significant role in balancing the ecosystem. Their presence in the food chain plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of all other species in the jungle. As tigers survey other small animals, this process keeps the ecosystem healthy and strong.

Tigers help in preventing overgrazing:

Tigers eat herbivores, and this eventually prevents herbivores from causing more damage to grass and trees.

IMAGE: UNSPLASH