Richmond and its official conservation partner WWF-Australia, have come together on International Tiger Day to help save wild tigers from extinction.

The Club has three WWF Tiger Ambassadors in Nick Vlastuin, Jack Graham and Shane Edwards, with a goal of increasing awareness about what can be done to save tigers.

Since the Richmond Football Club was founded in 1885, the population of wild tigers has plummeted by about 95%, leaving less than 4,000 currently in the wild.

The partnership is helping efforts to double that number by 2022 from when the tiger program started in 2010.

This involves reducing the threat of poaching and ensuring that the homes of wild tigers- jungles and forests in Asia and Russia- are protected.

Vlastuin and Graham travelled to Sumatra last year to see first-hand the conservation work WWF are undertaking in jungles.

“It was pretty sad and eye-opening to see two tiger cubs that weren’t able to be saved because their mother had died in a snare,” Vlastuin said.

“Most of the areas tigers occupy have no rangers or managed habitat, which means that at the moment there is around 50 being lost each year to poaching for trade on the black market.

“With more public support, WWF can work with government and local communities to help protect tigers from being hunted.”

WWF Human Tiger Conflict and Landscapes Lead, Dr Ashley Brooks said interactions with the Club’s players, coaches and staff, as well as its members and supporters helped to save tigers.

“From our experience, raising awareness is the first step towards protecting species that are on the brink of extinction. Strong action by the public causes government to act, listen and save endangered animals,” he said.

The survival of Sumatran Tigers, in which there are currently only 600, is especially critical given they are the only true tiger sub species.

There are three Sumatran Tigers- Indrah, Binjai and Hutan at the Melbourne Zoo which has been caring for Sumatran Tigers since 1976.

Zoos Victoria is a world-leading not-for-profit zoo-based conservation organisation, with all revenue going towards fighting wildlife extinction, including the conservation of the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger.

There is great hope for tiger conservation, with a blueprint being set in China, India and Nepal who all recently announced increases in their wild tiger populations.

Dr Brooks said the increase can be attributed to improved surveys, enhanced protection, habitat and tiger prey management, and political will.

“It is also particularly encouraging to see wild tiger populations increase in China when a decade ago recovery seemed impossible,” he said.

“It shows together we can make a difference.”

To donate to WWF visit https://donate.wwf.org.au/adopt/tiger/wwf-richmond-football-club