Thirty Three Tiger Facts

1. Tigers are the largest of the big cats.
2. Wild tigers are at the very top of the food chain.
3. There were originally eight subspecies of tiger, the Javan, the Bali, the Caspian, the Indochinese, the Sumatran, the Bengal, the Siberian, and the South China tiger.
4. Unbelievably three of the eight subspecies are now extinct. The Bali tiger met its demise in the 1940's, the Caspian in the 1970's and the Javan in the 1980's. (Yes you read that right--the 1980's!)
5. The tiger is the most endangered species of big cats.
6. Tigers are an umbrella species, which means to save the wild tiger we must also commit to saving its habitat and prey.

7. It is impossible to count how many tigers are left in the wild but experts estimate there to be less than 6000.
8. The tigers saliva is antiseptic and comes in handy for cleaning their wounds.
9. An adult wild tiger is a solitary animal and will establish its own territory, which can cover over 100 square miles.
10. A tiger will circumnavigate its territory every few days.

11. Tiger stripes are individually as unique as the human finger print.
12. The tigers most developed sense is its hearing.
13. A tiger can spend up to eighteen hours sleeping.
14. Tigers can swim and like to cool down by sitting neck deep in water holes.
15. Tiger cubs are blind at birth.
16. Tiger cubs can stay with their mother for up to 2-3 years.
17. Tigers do not purr.
18. Like the domestic cat the tigers claws are retractable.
19. A tiger's night vision is six times greater than a humans.
20. Most tigers are orange with black stripes and a white underbelly and jowl.

21. The tiger is revered in Chinese mythology and is said to have magical powers.
22. Yin and Yang is sometimes represented by a Yin tigress and a Yang dragon.
23. It is believed that when a tiger dies its spirit enters the ground and becomes amber.
24. It is also believed in Chinese mythology that the tiger can take human form.
25. Tiger populations are being cut off as their territories shrink and the corridors which join them together are being destroyed.
26. The demise of the tiger is due to loss of habitat and the use of tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicines.
27. Tiger parts are also used as trophies, trinkets and aids to ward off evil spirits.
28. The main users of illegal animal derivatives are, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
29. Tiger powders and potions can be bought all over the USA, Europe and the UK.

30. There are now more tigers in captivity than there are in the wild.
31. The tiger has only one predator...MAN!
32. A group of tigers is called a Streak.
33. Tigers will occasionally eat vegetation for dietary fibre, the fruit of the Slow Match Tree being favoured.