It was the smallest of the eight subspecies of tiger, and had the longest cheek whiskers, forming a short mane across the neck. The encroachment of the growing human population, along with increases in poaching, led to the extinction of the Javan tiger. The Indonesian government has become involved in trying to preserve the tiger, but it was too late for the Javan. Tigers are the largest of all cats, weighing up to 660 pounds and with a body length of up to 9 feet. They are solitary animals, and, unlike lions, hunt alone.
Tigers prefer large prey, such as wild pigs, cattle, or deer.
Tigers rarely attack humans, although attacks on humans have increased as the increasing human population more frequently comes into contact with tigers. Tiger attacks usually occur when the tiger feels that it or its young are being threatened. In such cases, the tiger almost never eats its human victim. There are some tigers, however, who have developed a taste for human flesh. This is a particularly bad problem in an area of India and Bangladesh called the Sunderbans.