Common name: Tiger
Scientific name: Panthera tigris
Distribution: Asia and Far-east Russia
CITES listing: Appendix I (22/10/1987)
Tigers are the largest cat on earth. They are agile, with flexible bodies designed for running, jumping and climbing. Heavily-muscled forelimbs, retractable claws, powerful jaws, sharp teeth and acute senses make them awesome hunters.
Their distinctive markings blend in to the colours and shadows of their habitat, having a reddish-orange to yellow-ochre coat with a white belly and black stripes.
Tigers are generally solitary, living and hunting alone; the size of their territory varies with prey abundance. Tigers use scent to communicate – they spray urine and rub scent on trees and bushes to inform other cats of their whereabouts.
Females give birth to a litter of two or three cubs after a 90-110 day gestation. Cubs learn to hunt and kill from around six months of age but remain dependent on their mother for at least 15 months, after which time they will disperse to find their own territory.
*International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world’s main authority on the conservation status of species.
ISSUES
Tiger populations are on the brink of extinction in many countries of south east Asia and are threatened by habitat loss resulting from mining, logging, farming, palm oil plantations, settlements, roads and railways. Throughout their range tigers find themselves in conflict with farmers that persecute them for killing their livestock. Many large tracts of forest are now devoid of wild prey and no longer provide a niche for tigers.
Tigers are exploited in tiger farms due to the demand for their skins as luxury rugs and home décor, and for their bones which are used to make traditional Asian medicines and health tonics.
Tigers are also exploited and abused in captivity – in circuses, zoos, tiger farms and in people’s private collections of wild animals as pets.
source: https://www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/tigers
