Tiger (Panthera tigris)

Common Names: Tiger

Tigers, with their bright orange colour, familiar striped pattern, and large size, are the most easily recognizable wild cat to most people. Like the lion Panthera leo in Africa, tigers have had a long history and have been a powerful presence in the lives of the people of India and southeast Asia. They have been depicted in various types of art, revered in legend, and hated and feared for being a ‘man eater’. The male Siberian tiger is the largest of all cats, with an all time record of 384 kg.

Their large, powerful body is covered with dark brown to black vertical striping on a ground colour of light reddish yellow to ochre. The underparts and inner sides of the limbs are creamy white in colour, sometimes with a light yellow tinge. The head has a domed forehead and relatively long muzzle; the face is framed by a ruff of longer hair; and the nose pad is pink, sometimes with black spots. The irises are yellow, and the pupils are round. Their short, rounded ears have black backsides, with conspicuous white spots in the middle. Forelimbs are more powerfully built than the hind limbs, and the footpads are large. The relatively long tail is patterned with stripes and rings of black; the tip is usually black.

Tigers were more plentiful in the past when forests and grasslands supported flourishing populations of the various species preyed upon by the big cats. Fossil evidence suggests the tiger evolved in Siberia, some remains having been found as far north as the edge of the Arctic Ocean, far from present strongholds. Their habit of resting in or near water. or in the cooler interiors of forests during the heat of the day, suggests that they overheat easily and evolved in a cooler climate.

They are mainly nocturnal, but may be active during the day, especially in winter in the northern part of their range. They appear to depend more on sight and hearing than smell when hunting. Like many other cats, they carefully stalk their prey, using all available cover and blending in with the vegetation. The tiger approaches from the side or the rear of its prey, attempting to get as close as possible before leaping on the victim to apply a neck or throat bite. Their diet is mostly large mammals, including various wild deer, wild goats, antelopes, buffalo, and wild pigs. It will also take smaller mammals such as monkeys, as well as some birds, reptiles, and domestic stock.

There has been much publicity about certain tigers, especially in the Sunderbans region of India, becoming man eaters, but this is by no means a common phenomenon. In certain rare situations, some tigers will kill humans, but these are usually old or injured animals that can no longer hunt wild prey.

Tigers often drag their prey to cover, often near water, so that they can alternate between eating and drinking. They often stay near the carcass to prevent it being eaten by scavengers, and will cover the remains with vegetation when not eating. The three prerequisites that must be met for a viable tiger home range include: sufficient cover, year round access to water, and an assured supply of large prey.

Mating may occur at any time of the year, but is most frequently seen from November to April. Females enter oestrous at intervals of three to nine weeks, and receptivity lasts three to six days. Dens are usually constructed beneath fallen trees, in rock shelters, or in thick vegetation. One to seven, usually two or three, cubs are born after a gestation period of 93 - 111 days. The cubs weigh 760 - 1600 grams at birth, and open their eyes between six and 14 days. They nurse for three to six months, and begin to hunt with the female at 11 to 12 months. The young separate from their mother between 18 and 24 months, with females reaching sexual maturity between 36 and 48 months, and males taking 48 - 60 months. Tigers have lived to 25 years of age in captivity.

The American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AZA) chose the Siberian tiger as the initial species for its first Species Survival Plan (SSP), and there are now more Siberian tigers in captivity than exist in the wild. The SSP program has gone on to become a successful model for Sumatran tigers Panthera tigris sumatrae, as well as other large wild cats. New reproductive techniques have resulted in increased tiger numbers in captivity, through in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.

Because of their magnificent size and reputation, tigers have long been avidly hunted by trophy hunters. Other threats include persecution as a ‘man-eater’ and livestock killer, poaching for various body parts, habitat loss, and the private pet trade. There are reportedly at least 3,000 lions, tigers and leopards kept as private pets in Italy alone. The worst sin of these private pet owners is that they rarely make any effort to breed them to take some pressure off the remaining wild populations.

The tiger is sinking faster and faster towards extinction because of ruthless and well organized poaching for bones and other parts for Chinese traditional medicine. In a few short years there could well be only scattered tigers in the forests of Asia, with the species doomed to disappear completely from the wild in a few decades. They are one of the world’s most endangered animals.

There are eight well recognized sub-species: Caspian, Javan and Bali tigers are now extinct, and the South China (approx 30 ), Sumatran (approx 200 ) and Siberian (approx 450 in the wild) subspecies are well on the way to becoming extinct. The Indo-Chinese population is estimated to exist at around 1,100 animals, but there are few concrete studies to support these numbers. The Bengal subspecies has an estimated population of 2,000, a drastic drop since the last census of 3,000-4,500 in 1998..* CITES has placed all subspecies on Appendix I.

It is only through responsible management in the wild and in captivity that the tiger can retain its rightful place as the most magnificent predator on earth. Immediate action must be taken to ensure these awe inspiring cats survive into the next century.

*All population figures @ 2006

The Poaching of Tiger Body Parts

In tropical Asia, where the tiger is considered the supreme symbol of power and cunning, a vast feline pharmacopoeia has been developed, resulting in organized poaching for body parts for the following "cures":

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  The tail is ground and mixed with soap as an ointment for skin diseases; the bones from the tip of the tail ward off evil. 
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  Crushed tiger bone added to wine is an old Taiwanese general tonic. 
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  Sitting on a tiger skin rug cures fevers caused by ghosts. 
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  Gallstones added to honey can be applied to abscesses on the hands and feet; when applied to the eyes, it will prevent persistent watering. 
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  The hair can be burned to drive away centipedes. 
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  Mix the tiger's brain with oil and rub it on your body to cure laziness and acne. 
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  Eyeballs rolled into pills are a sure cure for convulsions. 
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  Eating the meat of a tiger will make a person immune to snakebite. 
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  Tiger's whiskers can be kept as a charm to protect against bullets and to give courage. 
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  Tiger claws can be carried or worn as jewelry to give courage, and to be protected from sudden fright. 
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  Eat the heart of a tiger to acquire strength, courage and cunning. 
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  The floating ribs should be carried as a good luck talisman. 
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  To prevent a child from having convulsions, remove the small bones of the cats' feet and tie them to the child's wrists. 
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  Tiger penises are often considered effective aphrodisiacs by aging Chinese gentlemen, (demand is so strong a thriving counterfeit tiger penis market has sprung up; made in Hong Kong from ox and deer tendons, they sell for about $15.00 US each) 

Some symbolic representations include:

1. painting tigers on Buddhist temples to scare away malignant spirits
2. tigers painted on scrolls and hung in houses to keep disease devils out
3. tigers painted on children's mumps-swollen cheeks
4. shoes of small children are embroidered with tiger heads to prevent fevers