Endangered Animal
THE BENGAL TIGER
An integral part of my childhood education consisted of developing a sense of national identity. For us, learning about the largest mangrove forest in the world - the Sundarbans, along with its most famous inhabitant, was part of that journey. The royal Bengal tiger is not only our national animal but also a symbol of strength, resilience, and pride in most Bangladeshi narratives. That is why I am also painfully aware of how much danger they are in, as their numbers keep decreasing over the last few decades.
The Bengal tiger is one of the 8 variants, 3 of which have become extinct, native to the Indian subcontinent and its neighboring areas. Currently, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan are the home to the approximately 2500 remaining Bengal tigers in the world. The Sundarban mangrove forest provides a unique environment for them, which has shaped their predatory and survival skills through generations. They are adept swimmers, powerful predators, and incredibly territorial, which makes the decreasing area of the Sundarban through deforestation an alarming challenge they are not equipped for. Bengal tigers are usually afraid of humans and rarely venture into their settlements. However, threats to their natural food reserves can instigate them into attacking humans.
Furthermore, they are at risk from poachers who value their teeth, skin, and various unique physical characteristics as they decrease in numbers. Threats from climate change such as an increase in floods, cyclones, and rising water levels have weakened their home. As the Sundarbans lose more of its grounds to agriculture, deforestation, and rapid development, the Bengal tigers are facing a shortage of food and exposure to the greed and fear of nearby human communities.
For my project, I decided to focus on the distinct features that make up the Bengal tiger and create an image of them through recyclable materials.
Step 1: Gathering the recyclable materials
Step 2: Sketching out the design and strategy
Step 3: Found a headphone case that I can use as the base of the head
Step 4: Used the shape of the bottom of a plastic water bottle to cut out the cheeks of the tiger
Step 5: Taped in the cheeks with some googly eyes
Step 6: Found a plastic cup to fill out the fur on both cheeks
Step 7: glued in additional details with paper to fill out the facial features
Step 8: Used a sharpie to define the details and signature stripes of the tiger
Final look front view
Final look side view