International Tiger Day

International Tiger Day

Every year on July 29th we celebrate Tigers and the conservation efforts being made to protect them. An estimated 3,900 tigers remain in the wild, and there is much more work needed to protect this species if we are to secure its future in the wild. UPDATE: As of September 2023, there were approximately 5,574 wild tigers, according to the Global Tiger Forum, which is a 74% increase from 2010. However, tigers are still endangered and face many threats. 

In 2019 I travel to the heart of India in search of these inclusive big cats. My tour was led by National Geographic big cat photographer Steve Winter, whose extensive work on tigers is nothing short of legendary.

Steve Winter and Me looking for Tigers in Bandhavgarh National Park.

We traveled to two different national parks in India including Kaziranga National Park in the northeast Indian state of Assam and Bandhavgarh National Park in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. During our eleven days in the field we were only able to photograph two tigers. Each encounter only lasted a few minutes. This experience was very humbling for me as a photographer to understand just how difficult it is and the time it takes to really capture the essence of these magnificent cats.

My traveling companions for this Indian Tiger adventure.

National Parks in India have a very strong anti-poaching presence. Their rules for entering their parks are very strict and you can often see patrols on elephant back making their rounds. These protections are vital to the survival of these big cats.