#internationaltigerday #tigers #nature #wildlife #conservation

International Tiger Day 2024

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July the 29th marks International Tiger Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the amazing big cat which has captured the imagination of human for millennia.

I was first introduced to tigers properly about 10 years ago when I visited my local zoo. There I observed several tigers, Tschuna, Sayan, and Vladimir along with Tschuna and Vlad's three cubs, Hector, Harley, and Hope. I was hooked from this day and ever since tigers have played a huge role in the development of my opinions and thoughts around wildlife photography and nature conservation, and have acted as a focal point in my quest to leave the world a better place than when I found it.

I find it hard to capture what tigers mean to me in words, but consider everything we humans love about cats, then add to that the size of these majestic creatures, the vibrant orange and black coats, the way they look into your eyes, the sheer power and adaptability of their bodies and the essence that comes from a creature so perfect; and you'll start to get the gist. I'm not spiritual or religious, but tigers have a presence and you can't help think there is so much more to them than meets the eye.

My Pet Tiger, Tschuna

Make no mistake, I don't profess any ownership over Tschuna, nor do I condone the premise, but over the years Tschuna has become like a pet to me, one to which I can't throw Dreamies or give belly rubs to! I've photographed her for the best part of her life and I know her like I know my own pets. Often she would run up to me and chuff when I walked up to the enclosure, so it's hard to ignore the feeling that she knows me too. Vlad and Sayan were also incredible tigers however both have sadly passed away, Sayan just last week.

Here are some photos of Tschuna I've taken over the years.

Superb backlit photograph of a tiger sprinting as if to chase down her prey (captive).

Tigers, unlike most cats, love to swim and get wet (captive).

Tschuna walking through the dandelions (captive)

My Zoo Breakup

Unfortunately, the zoo where Tschuna lives has fallen out with me for advocating for change in their practices, so I can't go see her any more, but I do have many fond memories and several friends continue to share photos and stories with me. Click here and here to read more about the breakup!

In reflection of my connection with tigers, I even have a tiger tattooed on my arm. This is one of my photos of Tschuna.

Tschuna tattoo on my arm. This was inked by Dave at Inspired By Ink in Conisbrough and true to a photo I took

The photo which inspired my tattoo - Tschuna (Captive)

The Plight of the Tiger

At this point, I should share a bit about the current plight of the tiger, and while they are doing better than they have been for a long time, we still have a lot of work to do.

Over the years the tiger's enigmatic qualities became its arch-enemy. Many cultures chased the mysterious creatures for their supposed healing powers. They slaughtered tigers en masse to create unproven traditional medicines and treatments. None of which have any scientific backing. Similar to traditional medicine, humans wanted tiger pelts in their homes. They wanted to prove their social status by slaying the king of the jungle and parading its pelt to their friends, families and acquaintances. We also can’t forget that we share this planet with humans who have a desire for blood, they prize the slaughter of these magnificent animals. There's a prevalent weakness in those who think trophy hunting is acceptable.

Aside from those mentioned, there’s a reason that’s much more contentious. Human-wildlife conflict. If you or I had to head out into the forest to gather firewood so that we could cook and stay warm, would we value a tiger's life greater than our own? A tough one to decide on. How about if a tiger killed and ate our only livestock? You see it’s all well and good preaching that we need to save the tiger, but in the face of one ending your life, how do you choose? Sadly, the choice is always to kill the tiger, and this results in many, many tiger deaths.

As a result of the above human actions, tigers are on the brink of disappearing from the planet. Across the vast habitats spanning from the northern reaches of Russia, down to China and across the rest of the Asian continent, there are estimated to be around between 3,900 and 5,600 individuals. Put another way, you could offer every wild tiger a seat at the Royal Albert Hall for a performance on how humans are wiping them from the Earth. You’d need 2 million Royal Albert Halls to show every human the same performance. Thankfully, the internet provides us with an infinitely large arena to share such information.

How can you help?

Helping the tiger isn’t as hard as you think. In a world with climate change and global pandemics, helping the tiger is actually not hard. I remember being told a story where human-wildlife conflict was resolved in a very simple way. Local people were provided access to firewood so that they didn’t need to collect it from the forest. A simple investment made a huge difference, not only to the tigers but to the people who lived there. No longer were the tigers an enemy.

If you’re here you probably care about tigers in some way. Donating a small bit of change, say £3 each month will go a long way to keeping tigers in the wild. It’s as simple as that. Not all of us are fortunate enough to have spare change, so if you can’t donate money, donate time. Talk to people about tigers, and go to your local, ethical, zoo to watch and learn about tigers. Make people aware that tigers are worth more alive. If you really want to spend some money, go and see them in the wild. Eco-tourism gives these animals and their habitats value, and that keeps them protected. I highly recommend Arpit at Vanvasm for trips in India.

Which charities do I support?

I support a few tiger charities who all do different but crucial work:

1. For Tigers works to save captive tigers in Thailand from Tiger Tourism.
2. WildCats Conservation Alliance carry out in-situ wildlife conservation for big cats.

This year I've donated to WildCats on International Tiger Day to support in-situ conservation, send a message that tigers are important to me, and support the work of the charity.

Tigers Forever

So as we think about International Tiger Day, we should consider how important these animals are to us, both individually, and collectively. We should think about what it means to protect these animals and what effect that might have on the protection of others. Finally, we should consider what a world without tigers would look like and if we are willing to let that happen.

Thanks for reading!
Niall.

As always, a huge shoutout to my good friend Tal for sharing my passion for tigers and introducing me to Arpit of Vanvasm who allowed me to experience tigers in the wild. True champions for nature!

Wild Tigers

Recently, I was fortunate enough to go and photograph tigers in the wild. The below gallery showcases some of the amazing animals I photographed on my trip to India.

Created by Niall Bell (niall@niallbell.com)