July 29, all conservation institutions and accredited zoos, including the Zoo de Granby, are inviting the population to celebrate the International Tiger Day and to take action to protect these animals in the wild.

The Zoo de Granby has declared that 2022 would be the year of felines here! By making a donation to the Zoo’s Foundation, you’ll be participating in the conservation efforts of these magnificent animals. The funds raised will be invested in conservation in the wild, education and awareness projects. They also serve for projects aimed at improving the well-being of the felines in our care. On July 29, celebrate International Tiger Day by getting involved in our mission to help preserve the animal world.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, tiger populations have declined by almost 95% in the wild. These magnificent animals play an essential ecological role in their environment, notably by controlling prey populations: in other words, they help maintain the balance between the resources available and the number of herbivores that feed on them. Powerful and stealthy hunters, they rely on their tremendous acceleration to surprise their prey. Despite this fact, they’re only successful in one out of five hunts.

Tigers’ survival in the wild is threatened, among other things, by the greed of men! Although they’re a protected species, their magnificent striped coats are still sought after for illegal trade purposes through poaching activities. Fragmentation and the loss of their habitat also affect the populations in the wild since tigers need vast territories to find their prey. The construction of roads for mining and logging operations also offers poachers an increased access to more remote parts of the species’ distribution zone. Finally, climate change is altering the composition of vegetation and access to water, disrupting their prey’s behaviour and therefore that of those that feed on them.

Photos Credit : Bertrand Duhamel

Fortunately, the latest update from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) offers a ray of hope. In fact, in July 2022, it announced that improved calculating methods would result in approximately 40% more tigers than estimated in 2015, possibly as many as 5,578 in the wild. This is a major victory for conservation organizations working to restore tiger populations in the wild, and proof that habitat protection efforts are essential and effective.

Of course, it’s too early to claim victory and the species is not out of the woods yet. The role played by accredited zoological institutions, such as the Zoo de Granby, remains essential. They not only promote a better understanding of the biology of the species, they also help maintain the genetics of this big cat through in-zoo reproduction programs, as well as by investing in research and conservation programs.

To learn more about the Zoo de Granby's tigers, watch this Live Facebook Video! ( In french)