2022: The Year of the Tiger

Chinese New Year

Did you know that 2022 is the Year of the Tiger?

In Chinese tradition, there are twelve animals after which each year is named and this year it’s the tiger’s turn. We’ll officially enter this year when Chinese New Year begins on 1st February and those who celebrate will hold festivities throughout the first fortnight of the month, culminating in a special lantern festival. The Year of the Tiger comes around every 12 years and those born in tiger years are said to exhibit tiger-like qualities such as bravery, competitiveness, and confidence.

We love tigers and think it’s pretty cool that 2022 is a tiger year. What better opportunity to celebrate these gorgeous big cats and educate ourselves on how to protect them?

Why tigers are endangered

Known for their iconic stripes, tigers are the world’s largest species of cat. However, whilst they’re large in size, they’re not large in population and are currently classed as being endangered. This is due to two main threats - habitat loss and poaching.

It’s estimated that they’ve lost around 90% of their range due to human activity, such as the clearing of forests for agriculture and human developments. As territorial predators, every tiger needs a large hunting range but habitat loss is making this near impossible, putting their ability to survive at serious risk.

However, poaching is the most terrifying threat to these precious animals. With bones and body parts that are used for folk medicine and a pelt that’s seen as a status symbol in some Asian cultures, tigers are prime targets for poachers.

What WWF is doing to help

As ever, WWF is doing everything it can to protect these beautiful animals by attempting to eliminate the biggest threats to their survival. They’re battling against habitat loss by helping to preserve and reconnect wild tiger habitats and increasing local capacity to manage tiger areas. They also collaborate with local partners to manage these core habitats and work with governments to increase momentum surrounding tiger conservation.

Perhaps most importantly, they focus on ending the illegal tiger trade by working with TRAFFIC, the global wildlife trade monitoring network, to implement strategies that can stop wildlife crime networks and change consumer behaviour. They also put strategies into place that reduce the demand for tiger parts.

Finally, they monitor tiger populations with camera traps and continually adapt their strategies based on their findings.

What you can do to help

When the last Year of the Tiger took place in 2010, there were around 3,200 tigers left in the wild. Today, there are around 5,574. By the time we celebrate the next Year of the Tiger in 2034, let’s make sure there will be an even bigger increase. An easy way to do this? With our tiger products…

We’re determined to see an increase in the number of tigers in the wild, so have released gorgeous products that will help WWF continue their amazing work to protect them. These include our tiger-saving sweatshirts and a pair of tiger-saving pyjamas. Yep, conservation just got more stylish than ever.

Shop now to celebrate Chinese New Year in the most tiger-loving way possible.