It was the International day of the tiger yesterday.
July 29th, is celebrated as International Day of the Tiger since 2010, initiated in St. Petersburg to raise the awareness on the importance of Tiger conservation where Governments of 13 tiger populated countries had vowed to double the tiger population by 2020.
Tiger is important to us all in India not only because it is our national animal, also because It is believed that a thriving population of tigers is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.
Natural habitat of a tiger is in the forests and due to illegal poaching and loss of habitat due to deforestation for agriculture, urbanization and climate change besides several other factors, its population saw a sharp decline in recent decades and this majestic beast faced the threat of extinction with over 95% of them lost since the beginning of the 20th century.
In 1973, “Project Tiger” was initiated in India, in line with the objective to save tigers on the planet, India being one country on earth where maximum tigers are found. While Project Tiger saw a multitude of adaptations over the years, it is indeed heartening to see the tiger population almost double as a result in 2019, much ahead of the planned target date.
While tigers are found in several states, one of the Notified National Parks – Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh (1968) prides itself for its large density of Royal Bengal Tigers among the other 37 species of mammals, over 250 species of birds, 80 species of butterflies and a large number of reptiles. Legend goes that Lord Rama made a fort and gifted it to his younger brother Lakshman, hence the name (Bandhav – Brother + Garh – Fort).
The jungles of Bandhavgarh are a coveted destination for wildlife lovers, especially for those who seek to see this majestic beast in its full grandeur in the wild.
Wait no more, plan your trip for an experience of a lifetime. Online bookings are available but booked much in advance, so it is always good to plan ahead.