Putting your children face-to-face with a tiger out in the wild probably isn’t high on your parenting priorities list. But wildlife charity the WWF has a safe way to do exactly that.
It has launched a new virtual reality video on YouTube called Come Face to Face with Tigers, as part of its campaign to double the numbers of wild tigers by 2022.
The video is shot from the point of view of a ranger, wandering through a forest as they protect tigers from poaching. It’s an attempt to show children – and adults – the scale of the challenges facing tigers and their protectors in 2016.
You can watch the video on your computer, but also on a smartphone. If you’ve got a virtual-reality headset like Google Cardboard, your children can use that to really feel like they’re in the forest with the tigers.
According to WWF UK’s director of public fundraising Kerry Blackstock, the video is part of the wider campaign to remind people that 95% of tigers were lost in the last century due to poaching and habitat loss, and while their numbers have recently started rising again, there are still only 3,900 in the wild.
“We’re at a pivotal moment but we need a monumental push forward to ensure tiger numbers continue to increase up to and beyond 2022. To do this we need commitment and dedication from all tiger range governments but also the passion and unwavering support of the general public,” said Blackstock.
“We hope that our new tiger experience will not only raise awareness of the tireless efforts of our incredible rangers, some of our true heroes in the field, but also inspire the nation to help us protect the tiger for generations to come.”
You can watch the video on YouTube, or find more about the WWF’s campaign on its website as well as adopting a tiger.
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