If a four-legged animal is a quadruped and a two-legged animal is a biped, what’s a tiger?

STRIP-ED!

Everyone’s favorite childhood cat, Tigger, is based on the endangered Bengal tiger. Like Orcas, Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) are the largest animal in their specific family. They can grow to be nine feet long including the tail and weigh anything from 240 to 500 pounds. Although Bengal tigers are the most common form of the tiger species there used to be nine subspecies in total, now only six remain.

Tiger Subspecies

• Living Species:
  • Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) – mostly found in India and Nepal
  • Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) – found in east and south Asia
  • Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) – found only in the southern part of the Malaysian peninsula
  • Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) – found in far eastern Siberia
  • South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) – found in South China*
  • Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) – found only in Sumatra
• Extinct Species:
  • Bali tiger (Panthera tigris balica) – was found only on Bali, went extinct in the 1930s
  • Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) – was found by the south-eastern ends of the Black and Caspian Seas, went extinct in the 1970s
  • Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) – was found only on Java, went extinct in the 1970s

*this tiger is the most critically endangered subspecies of tiger and there hasn’t been a sighting in the wild in over 25 years which means that it’s considered functionally extinct since all remaining tigers are held in captivity.

Territory and Hunting

Bengal tigers are very territorial and live alone. They mostly hunt large mammals and hunt nocturnally, they can eat up to around 60 pounds in one night. While males spend most of their life alone, females raise cubs (usually up to 6 at a time) which spend up to three years with them before moving on to live on their own.

Fun Fact: Tiger roars can be heard even two miles away.

In Culture and History

The tiger is one of the most frequently used animal symbols in Asian society. It represents power and courage. Bengal tigers have appeared on seals, coins, weapons, and more since as early as 2500 BCE. They’re also a national symbol of India. Tigers have also played major roles in various religions, especially those that are animistic. Their body parts were consistently used for medical purposes and as tokens of good luck, some still practice similar forms. In Hindu mythology the tiger serves as a vehicle of the goddess Durga while every 12th year of the Chinese calendar is the year of the tiger. The importance of tigers in society is one of the reasons that they’re endangered.

Endangered Status and Conservation Efforts

Bengal tigers are considered endangered animals but of the tiger subspecies they have the most left in the wild. The tiger population has been in serious decline since around the 1940s and this is because of an increase in the human population which has been destroying the natural habitat of tigers. Poaching has been one of the biggest causes of the decline in Bengal tigers, as well as all tiger species. People wanted to use tiger parts for anything from religious purposes to decorations in homes – it became a status of social position. However in the 1970s because of the great decline in the number of tigers, conservation efforts grew. In 1973, India launched Project Tiger which is a conservation effort to protect the endangered animals by setting up reserves. Other countries have also increased their protection of tigers and their patrol of poaching. The tiger trade was banned internationally in 1993. Since three subspecies of tigers have already gone extinct there is a major push to protect the ones that remain, especially to keep them safe in the wild. Like many other endangered animals, tigers in captivity don’t learn the proper skills to survive in the wild and can’t be released which doesn’t entirely help the efforts to boost wild tiger populations but it does ensure the safety of tigers.

Donating to the Cause

One of the leading conservation groups for Bengal tigers as well as other subspecies of tigers is the World Wildlife Fund. In 2000, the WWF worked with the Nepalese government to connect 11 protected areas in the Terai Arc Landscape and since then forests are growing and endangered animal populations have increased. Through the WWF you can either donate directly to their efforts to save tigers or adopt a Bengal tiger.

“Bengal Tiger.” National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/b/bengal-tiger/.

“Tiger.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/animal/tiger#ref17327.

“Bengal Tiger.” World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/species/bengal-tiger.

Tiger. Tigers-World, www.tigers-world.com/bengal-tiger/.

Tiger Standing. Santa Banta,www.santabanta.com/photos/tigers/2123040.htm.