10 Wonderful Facts about Tigers

1.Unique Pattern:

Tigers are the only big cats to have stripes and individuals are often known by their pattern. The stripes also help the mammals to blend in with their surroundings and stay undetected for longer by prey. Every tiger in the world is unique – no 2 tigers have a similar pattern of stripes.

2.Spot the Spots:

Tigers have white spots enclosed by black fur on the back of their ears. It has been advised that they act as false eyes to warn of their presence or discourage other species from attacking them from behind. Other theories recommend that it helps tiger cubs follow their mother through tall grass.

3.Making a Splash:

Unlike most members of the cat family, tigers like water. They’re good swimmers and sometimes cool off in pools or streams.

4.Tiger Toddlers:

In tall grass, rock crack or caves, tiger cubs are born blind and depend on their mother for cover. After 15 months the matured cubs can disperse and find their own territories.

5.Roam Alone:

Tigers have a 14 year lifetime. Once mature, they will spend most of their time living and hunting alone, with the exception of females once they are raising their young.

6. Tiger Territory:

The range of these huge cats can be between 20km to 400km. Scent marking allows tigers to communicate with other tigers in their range.

7.Night Vision:

Tigers have night vision that’s six times higher than that of humans, which helps them hunt successfully in the dark. A tiger mainly hunts a wild pig, buffalo and deer but is capable of taking prey larger than itself.

8. Endangered Big Cats:

The remaining tiger subspecies are the Siberian, South China, Sumatran, Indochinese, Malayan and Bengal. Sadly, hunting and habitat loss have put populations in danger, and these days their range has been reduced to around 7-membered of its former size. That’s why we need to do all we are able to safeguard these lovely beasts!

9.Vanishing Act:

Land development has led to around 96 per cent of the tiger’s natural range being lost in past 100 years.

10.On the Market:

Tigers are being illegally hunted for their body parts like bones, skin and teeth to fuel the growing demand for remedies made of tiger parts in Asia.