Vladivostok and several other cities in Russia's Primorsky Krai celebrated "Tiger's Day" over the weekend.
Tiger's Day is an annual festival celebrated in Russia to promote the protection of the Siberian Tiger, a mammal also known as the Amur or Manchurian Tiger.
In several Russian cities, orange became the most popular colour to wear, as locals and visitors alike celebrated the event. In Vladivostok, many children dressed up as tigers, and a number of young adults wore tiger stripes. On this particular Sunday, people around the city sported these tiger looks in promote the protection of tigers.
"(The Siberian Tiger) is gradually disappearing from Earth, and only very few are left. It's among the world's most endangered species," said one local youth.
Tiger's Day is an important festival recognised both by the government and local residents of Vladivostok. People paraded through the city all united under the common cause of raising awareness regarding one of the county's endangered animals. The city square also created an attraction for children to express their will to protect tigers by creating drawings.
According the activity's planners, more and more young people and organisations are being drawn to the festival. Nearly 50,000 people joined in this year's celebration, including many Chinese students currently studying in Russia. These exchange students are also very passionate about the cause.
"China also has few tigers, so we have to protect them, starting with any way we can help," a Chinese student said. Another student emphasized that, cracking down on illegal trading of tiger skin and tiger teeth is a very important part of the effort.
Since 2000, "Tiger's Day" has been celebrated on the last Sunday of every September in Vladivostok. The festival hopes to attract international attention in its effort to help the Siberian tigers and endangered species.
AP
source: newshub archive
