Tigers have long been an endangered species, but luckily thanks to the government efforts, their numbers are steadily increasing again.
Actions such as stricter anti-poaching laws, separation of people from tiger habitats and scientific surveillance the tiger population in parts of India, Thailand and Russia have vastly improved.
Still, there are only six subspecies of tiger in the world and they only inhabit 13 countries in the world. It’s estimated that there are only 3,200 tigers in the wild with the majority of the big cats succumbing to the threats of poaching, destruction of their habitats and lack of prey.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Tigers can weigh up to 660 pounds and are the heaviest cats
- The stripes of a tiger appear on their skin as well as their fur and they are as unique as a human’s fingerprints
- White tigers are not albino, but are the result of both parents having a rare recessive gene
- Unlike most other cats, tigers love playing in water and can swim up to four miles
- Tigers are solitary animals, but sometimes they form a group. which is called a “streak” or an “ambush”
- Tiger tails are half the size of the cat and are used for balance when running as well as for communicating with other tigers