New Delhi, 30 July 2018 : Founded in 2010, at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit, Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July. The celebration commemorates the day when an ambitious and visionary species conservation goal, TX2 was set by the governments of the 13 tiger range countries: to double the number of wild tigers by 2022. Wild tigers are found in a variety of habitats across Asia. There are currently 13 tiger range countries; Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Viet Nam.
This year, as a prelude to the Global Tiger Day, Wildlife Trust of India began the celebration on July 25 with other organizations like National Tiger Conservation Authority, National Museum of Natural History and World Wildlife Fund to name a few at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi. Many schools from Delhi were invited to participate in awareness-generating activities through contests like painting, story writing and a quiz. Over 200 students from five schools participated and the activities were held at the education centre of the National Zoological Park. Students were very enthusiastic about the celebration and actively participated in all events and displayed a considerable depth of knowledge about tigers and its conservation-related issues.
Sanya, a student of class IX, who scored highest on the quiz, attributed her knowledge and interest to various nature and conservation centric TV channels, and to her school. A student of Delhi Public School, Ghaziabad, Sanya thanked her school for inculcating a sensitivity towards nature and wildlife in her personality. Adding to this, she expressed a desire to work someday in the field of conservation.
The winners were awarded prize by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister of Environment, Forests &Climate Change on 27th July 2018 at the Ministry of Environment, Forests& Climate Change. The programme was also marked by nukkad natak by school children and songs prepared on the conservation of tigers. On 29th July 2018 on the Global Tiger Day, hundreds of school children participated in the celebration at National Zoological Park. An awareness campaign, pledge ceremony, signature campaigns, rakhi tying ceremony to models of big cats and an exhibition on tiger theme was put up.
