Celebrating International Tiger Day with a roar
July 30, 2019 : On July 29, 2019, WTI orchestrated and participated in Global Tiger Day celebrations in a number of its project areas, in concert with local communities, state forest departments, partner NGOs and other supporters. All our major stakeholders like students, conservationists, government authorities, communities were involved in these celebrations and the message of tiger conservation was spread to many others through social media.
Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh
The team at Shahjahanpur conducted organised an event on Global Tiger Day with Kendriya Vidyalaya (II) based in Army cantonment area of Shahjahanpur. The school principal spoke about the importance of species, big or small in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. A total of 700-800 students from class 6th to 12th, along with the school staff were present for the program.
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A movie, “Facts about Tiger,” was screened for over 150 students from class 12th and several other videos showing struggles of man-animal conflict was showcased too, during the event. Mr Prem Chandra Pandey also discussed with the students the precautionary measures to avoid human-wildlife conflict and the role of students in conserving wildlife. At the end of the program, an assessment test was conducted based on facts about tigers. Later, the same questions were discussed by Mr Sumit Saha (Biologist) with the students, and they were explained the science behind it. At the end of the program, WTI gifted two books to the school library on Indian mammals authored by Vivek Menon, ED and CEO, WTI.
New Delhi
On 25th July 2019, the International Tiger Day celebrations commenced in the National Zoological Park (Delhi Zoo). National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in association with WWF, WTI and NMNH, organised an event for schoolchildren from several schools. The children expressed their creativity as they sat along the paths of the Zoo, writing and drawing on themes surrounding Tiger conservation. A short stroll observing the children would have given any onlooker a whiff of the vigorous passion they were inspired from.
With a Tiger’s face split in two across the page, a student displayed how urbanisation and the lust for economic growth have dwindled the forests and natural habitat of tigers.
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The event ended with prize distribution and a quiz to keep the students’ curiosity alive. As the first day of the 4-day event ended, representatives from all the organisations were invited to plant a sapling. The plantation drive served as a metaphor to conserve the forests and the habitats of this crucial species and allow our national animal to thrive. WTI employees later helped in the plantation of the remaining saplings leaving the Zoo a slightly greener.
In addition to this, we released Kinara- the animated film for communities living in close proximity to tigers during an event at the National Tiger Conservation Authority by Sri Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in the Union Council of Ministers. Deconstructing conflict scenarios, this film shares triggers to conflict and some ways of reducing such encounters by adopting small changes in life.
Chandrapur Maharashtra
29th July 2019, Global Tiger Day was celebrated with the theme “Tiger: The Pride of Maharashtra” in state-level programme held at Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. In a packed auditorium of around 900 people including school children’s, college students, villagers from the state, non-government organizations, dignitaries and media. The programme was presided over by Dr Parinay Fukhe – Minister of State for Forest, Public Works Department and Tribal Development, Maharashtra. Three documentaries were launched during the event including; Jan Van Yojana and Eco-Tourism and Human Tiger Conflict “Kinara” by Wildlife Trust of India.
The film is developed under the Maharashtra Forest Department IUCN Project.
Besides the state-level programmes, WTI held various events in the Nagzira Nawegaon Tiger Reserve (NNTR) – Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) Corridor with school children’s and Forest Department.
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In NNTR, the event was held at Shivram School in Murdholi (Maramjob) village of Deori tehsil. Two hundred students participated in drawing competition, essay writing, face painting and screening of film “Kinara”. The students also planted 22 local trees on the school premises. RFO’s of Social Forestry, field staff of Dongargaon Wildlife Range (NNTR) and 11 teachers participated in the event.
In Brahmapuri, an event was held at Maharashtra Vidyalay, Awalgaon. Talk on “Tiger and its importance in the environment” was given by Nikhil Dandekar followed by the screening of the film “Kinara”. The students planted 32 saplings in the school premises along with the teachers. Two hundred twenty-five students and ten teachers participated in the programme. Awalgaon RO and his staff were present during the event.
Udanti- Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, Raipur, Chattisgarh
Amidst the declaration of latest tiger numbers in wild India, Wildlife Trust of India hosted an event in Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR) to commemorate the International Tiger Day. Chhattisgarh’s Udanti-Sitanadi has historically been one of the most prominent tiger habitats in the state due to its functional connectivity to the surrounding forest of Odisha. WTI has been working with the state forest department since 2006 to conserve the habitat to bring back the tiger and also the wild buffalo, the State Animal.
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This year, the International Tiger Day was celebrated in Koyba Village, in the core of USTR, in collaboration with Nova Nature Welfare Society, a local NGO. We could mobilize more than 50 frontline staff and 60 kids from nearby schools for a discussion on the importance of tigers in our ecosystem. Mr K.K. Bishen, the Field Director of USTR, chaired the event. Other prominent members in the chair included Mr R.K. Rayasth, Deputy Director of USTR, Mr R.N. Sori, the Assistant Director of USTR, block representatives, Sarpanch, teachers etc. We organized a quiz too, based on the salient facts about the species and a general know their habitats.
According to Mr. K.K. Bishen, “it is not only awareness but extreme preparedness on the part of the frontline staff that will help mitigate the unique problems that the tiger currently faces in our country.
Notably, the tiger population has increased since the last count for the country, but there is a lot of work to be done to make Chhattisgarh a prominent part of the tiger map”.
