Tiger

Endangered

Panthera tigris

Size: 8 - 10 feet and 220 - 400+ pounds depending on subspecies

Lifespan: 15 - 20 years in the wild, 26 years in zoos

Range/Habitat: Pockets of Asia in tropical rainforest, snow-covered coniferous and deciduous forest, mangrove swamps, and drier forests.

Subspecies: Siberian, Bengal, Indochinese, South China, Sumatran, Malayan

Tigers have stripe paterns and white marks on the backs of their ears that are unique to each individual cat. These markings can be used for identification and in the case of the ear markings, for mothers to keep track of their cubs in dense foliage.

Like most cats, tigers are solitary except when mating or raising cubs. Each tiger has a zone they live in with one male encompassing several females. Females will raise their cubs on their own for up to 18 months. Up to seven cubs may be born to a single female, but only two or three survive to adulthood as food to support more is hard to come by.

Conservation Concerns:

The tiger’s main threat is hunting. Poachers humt tigers for their fur and body parts. Many native medicines require tiger parts, but none of these medicines have been proven effective. Tigers have also been hunted for sport and to prove one’s bravery. Habitat loss in the developing world is also endangering tigers.

There are currently less than 2500 tigers in the wild with estimates that they may be extinct by 2010. Countries with native tiger populations are passing tougher laws against the killing of tigers or their prey, but the challenge remains in enforcing these laws.