Chester Zoo is marking today’s (29 July) International Tiger Day with the launch of a major new fundraising campaign to help protect tigers, calling on supporters across the UK to cover a collective 5,000 miles and raise £10,000, as the species continues to face habitat loss and conflict with people.
The month-long challenge, Earn Your Stripes, will run from 29 September to 29 October. It is the first appeal of its kind from the conservation and education charity.
Participants will set their own individual distance goals, which together will add up to a 5,000-mile target – a distance chosen to reflect the size of the Terai region in India, one of the last strongholds for wild tigers and an area Chester Zoo works to protect.
Money raised from the campaign will support both the zoo’s key role within the global tiger breeding programme, and conservation work protecting wild tigers in India.
Fundraisers can meet their goal on foot, by wheelchair, bicycle or rowing machine, or by choosing another activity – such as dancing or swimming – adapted to represent their distance covered, with progress logged on the Earn Your Stripes fundraising page.
Adam Thomas, individual giving assistant manager at Chester Zoo, said: “The zoo’s popular one-day Run for Nature event – a running event through our grounds – is already a fixture for local runners and conservation supporters, but this new fundraiser is designed to be accessible and allow participants to go at their own pace, in their own place.
“Tigers are stunning animals but sadly they are endangered and face serious threats in the wild due to habitat loss and human-tiger conflict. By signing up for Earn Your Stripes, people will have a direct impact on tiger conservation and help prevent the species becoming extinct.”
Chester Zoo is part of a European conservation breeding programme for tigers, which saw the birth of twin cubs Raya and Alif in 2023. The cubs have since moved on to other European zoos, where they are expected to play a role in raising the next generation of tigers. Conservation breeding is considered a vital safety net for the species as wild populations remain under serious pressure. It costs more than £400 a month just to feed a breeding pair of tigers at the zoo, and that doesn’t include paying keepers, maintaining their habitats, enrichment, vet care and more.
The charity also supports tiger conservation in the Terai region of India, which spans nearly 5,000 square kilometres – less than half of which is legally protected. As big cat habitats shrink, tigers are appearing more frequently near human settlements, leading to livestock losses, injuries, and deaths on both sides.
Chester Zoo works with Terai community members, the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, the Wildlife Trust of India and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help manage encounters with big cats and maintain community support for local tiger conservation.
In 2025, the zoo launched its Wild Scouts education programme in the region, which has already worked with 161 young people across three schools, building awareness of human-wildlife coexistence and safe behaviour in tiger habitats.
Mayukh Chatterjee, regional field programme senior manager for India at Chester Zoo, said: “Wildlife and human coexistence is vital for the future of communities and tigers, but conservation is complicated and costly. Every donation will make a real difference to tigers, whether it helps train volunteer teams in India to de-escalate interactions, or supports the care of tigers at Chester Zoo.”
