Happy World Wildlife Day today! This occasion is an international holiday created by the United Nations to celebrate our planet’s wild animals and plants.
It’s also a day for us to recognize how key they are to the health of the earth.
Tigers, for example, are one of the most iconic, but sadly endangered animals on the planet. Since the beginning of the 20th century, around 97% of the world’s wild tigers have been lost, due to causes like habitat loss and poaching.
We encourage you to check out a few excellent organizations that we like and are dedicated to tiger conservation as one of their focus areas: Panthera, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Last summer at The Bronx Zoo, we snapped a photo of this favorite card from our Sparks of Courage deck!
The Chinese saying “you cannot snatch a tiger cub unless you enter a tiger’s lair” (不入虎穴，焉得虎子) is the English equivalent of “no pain, no gain”.
This idiom celebrates the FIERCENESS of the tiger — the animal in this context is a symbol for risk-taking. When you really, really want something, you may come up against obstacles that are just as intimidating as the tiger. But if the goal means a lot to you, then the challenge just might be worth it!
