Amitabh Bachchan calls for protecting India’s tigers as census shows their population has increased
New Delhi:
Actor Amitabh Bachchan on Sunday congratulated the country for ensuring a safe environment for tigers after the government’s census showed an increase of 200 in the population of the endangered big cat in the last four years.
Mr. Bachchan has been associated with NDTV’s “Save the Tiger” campaign.
“In April 1973, India launched the very ambitious Project Tiger to promote tiger conservation. A few years back, NDTV, passionate about this project, asked me to join them as an ambassador for the ‘Save the Tiger’ campaign. It is a very proud moment for us.Me to be a part of this commendable endeavour,” Mr Bachchan told NDTV on Sunday.
The latest tiger census released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday shows that the number of tigers in India is set to increase from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,167 in 2022.
“…the most memorable (NDTV) telethon was held in a forest. Today, it can be proudly said that the agenda has been set for the nation. The latest census gives us a figure of over 3,000 tigers which today Roam in our forests.” Mr Bachchan said.
“India is home to 70 per cent of the world’s tiger population. We must protect this treasure in the next 50 years. It is the duty of every Indian to protect tigers,” he said.
At the inaugural session to mark 50 years of Project Tiger, PM Modi also launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and released a booklet ‘Amrit Kaal’s Tiger Vision’, which sets conservation targets for the next 25 years.
PM Modi said that protection of wildlife is a universal issue and IBCA is India’s contribution to the protection and conservation of tigers.
PM Modi said, “The cheetah went extinct in India decades ago. We brought this magnificent big cat to India from Namibia and South Africa. This is the first successful transcontinental translocation of a big cat.”
Initially, at the launch of Project Tiger in April 1973, it covered nine tiger reserves. Presently, there are 53 tiger reserves.
