Cricket Legend Sachin Tendulkar will now bat for Maharashtra’s endangered tigers by becoming a ‘Tiger Ambassador’ of the state. Tendulkar wrote to Maharashtra Finance and Forests Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar expressing his willingness to join the cause of conserving and protecting tigers in the state. Earlier Amitabh Bachchan agreed to become a Tiger Ambassador.
Maharashtra has six tiger sanctuaries, including five in Vidarbha (eastern part of the state) and one in the Sahyadri ranges in the western part. The state has asked the central government to allocate special funds to conserve and protect the big cats in these four states. India is currently home to 2,226 tigers, shooting up significantly from 1,706 in 2010.
- The tiger is capable of killing animals over twice its size; it is one of nature’s most feared predators.
- The roar of a Bengal tiger can carry for over 2 km at night.
- There are five subspecies of tiger: Bengal, South China, Indochinese, Sumatran and Siberian. Sadly, three subspecies of tiger have become extinct – Caspian, Bali and Javan.
- Tigers are good swimmers and often cool off in lakes and streams during the heat of the day.
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The World Tiger Day is observed on
