All support should be given to tiger conservation activities and awareness creation efforts as the number of tigers in the wild is very low, V.T. Balaram, MLA, has said.
He was speaking at the International Tiger Day (July 29) observance programme at Victoria College here on Tuesday.
It was organised by the Social Forestry Division and the Parambikulam Tiger Foundation.
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“In the last 100 years, around 97 per cent of the tiger population was lost. In 1913, there were about one lakh wild tigers but it dropped to 3,000 in 2014.
In 2010, India had 1,706 tigers.
It was 1,411 in 2006. Among the 13 tiger-range countries, India had the highest number of tigers,” he said.
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Regional Additional Principal Chief Conservator (Social Forestry) W.S. Suting said if extinction continued at this rate, there would be no tigers in five years.
District panchayat president T.N. Kandamuthan presided over the function.
A seminar involving students from five colleges in the district and an awareness rally were also held.
In WayanadStaff Reporter writes from Kalpetta:
The authorities of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) are organising various programmes to create awareness among the public on the significance of conserving tigers on Wednesday to mark World Tiger Day.
As a part of it, an open forum on ‘Tiger Conservation and Local Economy’ will be held at the ‘Gaja’ forest Inspection Bungalow at Sulthan Bathery in the district at 5.am.
Nearly 40,000 bookmarks and 900 year planners on a conservation theme ‘Wayanad’s Tigers; our pride’ will be distributed in all educational institutions in Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery taluks in the district on the day, a press note informed.