Which is biggest, the Siberian tiger or the Bengal tiger? - Quora Quora Written Jan 15, 2015 Siberian Tigers, which are now more often called Amur Tigers (because they live mainly in the Amur river valley of far Eastern Siberia) are generally larger and stockier than their cousins to the south.This is not surprising because short stocky limbs and more body fat mean less heat lost to the environment. Adult males will average about 500lbs but the largest can get to nearly 700-800lbs. While Amur Tigers are the largest, it's important to remember these are subspecies and a lot of their division is due to political borders (everyone wants their own tiger-they just don't want to work to keep them alive). However, the Amur Tiger is pretty unique among living tigers and was possibly even the same subspecies as the now extinct Caspian Tiger that lived all the way to Western Asia. The Amur Tiger rebounded in the last century in numbers from less than 100 individuals to nearly 500. But populations have taken a toll because of the genetic bottleneck, poaching and road building (which gives poachers access).

There may be less than 300 left. All tigers, not just Amur tigers, are endangered or critically endangered and may go extinct within the next 20-50 years if we don't take drastic measures to protect them. To read more or even donate and help out these are the best major organizations: (The Kremlin also does a lot of work with tiger conservation, believe it or not, but I don't think you want to give money to the Russian government....) 14.3k Views · View Upvotes · Answer requested by On average Siberian Tigers are bigger. The largest tiger ever held in captivity, and the heaviest natural big cat on record is a nine-year-old male Siberian named Jaipur owned by animal trainer Joan Byron-Marasek of Clarksburg, New Jersey, USA. This tiger measured 3.32 m 10ft 11in in total length and weiged 423 kg 932 lb in October 1986. The heaviest Tiger recorded in theGuinness Book of World Records is a1,025 pound male Siberian Tiger. But some gigantic Bengal tigers are comparable to Siberian ones.

Largest Siberian Tiger found in the wild: 845 lbs/ 384 kg. Largest Bengal Tiger found in the wild: 857 lbs/ 389 kg. 3.22 m 10 ft 7 in between pegs (3.37 m 11ft over the curves). Big Cat Facts Augustus Aaron Wilson. Tiger, 1931. When the Ringling Brothers circus came to town in 1931, Wilson was inspired by Emyr, said to be the largest tiger in captivity, to carve these tigers from salvaged railroad ties and telephone poles that he kept in his barn. Written Jan 15, 2015 If by size you mean mass, they are probably broadly about the same IMO, although it is difficult to say for sure. That is, if you were able to randomly sample each population and you did a statistical test, I dont think you would get a statistically significant difference. There may be differences in the tails of the distribution though.

The many complications in answering this question (which seems simple but actually is not!!) are: (a) Its difficult and invasive to actually catch and weigh tigers in the wild. Such procedure are relatively common in Russia because tigers are collared there, but not often allowed in India - so there is less data. The animals that are caught in India tend to be conflict animals, which may be in poor body condition and bias the results downwards. (b) Data from hunters is unreliable, because there is a tendency to exaggerate the size of the animal. And captive data does not count, it has no bearing on wild populations. (c) The biggest tigers have probably been hunted out from the population, and the size of those animals that are alive probably reflects hunting pressure as well, rather than inherent biological traits. (d) The subcontinent offers some of the best possible tiger habitat (e.g., the grasslands of the Terai or the deciduous forests of the Nilgiri), so there are great opportunities for tigers to be well nourished and reach their full potential size - and Russia is poor tiger habitat.

But then, we also have Bergmann's rule in ecology, which states that the further from the equator you go, the larger animals become. This is very clear in the Sumatran tiger - which is almost 50-75% the size of the mainland tigers. But it is less apparent in mainland tigers in deciduous/ grassland areas outside of rainforests. Of course Siberian tigers certainly look much bigger, because of the fluffed up fur! 4.3k Views · View Upvotes · Answer requested by If I answer your question simply in one line, then- The Siberian tiger is the biggest of all the big cats, bigger than any other tiger sub species. Now going in a bit detail, there's something which has to be understood properly. The Siberian tigers, as we think of in our imagination as a giant beast, actually used to be that big in the past. Also known by the name Amur tigers, their constant poaching and in the endangered species list of IUCN category, these magnificent beasts now have reduced drastically in numbers.

The adaption with the current climatic conditions and reducing numbers, poaching and change in their habitat due to reduction of forests have also reduced their giant size (though not that considerably, but still). On the other hand, India has done extremely well in conserving the endangered Bengal tiger species and incresing their numbers drastically. At a time in 2007 there were only 1411 tigers left in the wild in India. This year, the count has been above 2500. These species continue to dominate the Jungles with their might and strength. They grow heavy and fierce. Found in abundane in the delta of subderbans in Bengal (thereby known as Bengal tiger). Hence going by size and weight, the Amur tiger or Siberian tiger will be a bit heavier than Bengal tiger but will not differ by that huge difference as it used to be in the past. Whereas, the Royal Bengal tiger continues to be the king, thereby proving its name. Edit 1: Forgot to put the statistics here. The Siberian tigers have been known to weigh upto 380 kg.

But as i mentioned that they used to be giant beasts on the past, in the current scenario, they weigh anywhere around 300 kg or less, whereas a fully grown Royal Bengal tiger will weigh around 280 kg. P.S. The weights mentioned are the maximum weight of a full grown adult male, whereas the average weight would be comparatively less. tiger | mammal | Britannica.com mammal placental mammal Tiger (Panthera tigris), largest member of the cat family ( Felidae ), rivaled only by the lion (Panthera leo) in strength and ferocity. Ranging from the Russian Far East through parts of North Korea , China , India, and Southeast Asia to the Indonesian island of Sumatra , all six remaining subspecies are endangered . The Siberian , or Amur, tiger (P. tigris altaica) is the largest, measuring up to 4 metres (13 feet) in total length and weighing up to 300 kg (660 pounds). The Indian, or Bengal , tiger (P. tigris tigris) is the most numerous and accounts for about half of the total tiger population.

Males are larger than females and may attain a shoulder height of about 1 metre and a length of about 2.2 metres, excluding a tail of about 1 metre; weight is 160–230 kg (350–500 pounds), and tigers from the south are smaller than those of the north. Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). © Kitch Bain/Shutterstock.com The Bengal , Indo-Chinese (P. tigris corbetti), and Sumatran (P. tigris sumatrae) tigers are bright reddish tan, beautifully marked with dark, almost black, vertical stripes. The underparts, the inner sides of the limbs, the cheeks, and a large spot over each eye are whitish. The rare Siberian tiger has longer, softer, and paler fur. White tigers, not all of them true albinos, have occurred from time to time, almost all of them in India. Black tigers have been reported less frequently from the dense forests of Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh , and eastern India. The tiger has no mane, but in old males the hair on the cheeks is rather long and spreading.

Captive Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). © W. Perry Conway/Corbis Natural history The tiger has adapted to a great variety of environments , from the Siberian taiga , where nights can be as cold as −40 °C (−40 °F), to the mangrove swamps of the Sundarbans , where the temperatures reach more than 40 °C (104 °F). Tigers haunt the ruins of buildings such as courts and temples and are at home in habitats ranging from dry grassland to rainforest. Grasslands, mixed grassland-forests, and deciduous rather than densely canopied forests support maximum population densities, as these habitats maintain the highest number of prey species. Having evolved in the temperate and subtropical forests of eastern Asia , the tiger is less tolerant of heat than other large cats, which may explain why it is an adept swimmer that appears to enjoy bathing. Under stress it may climb trees. Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) in water.

© Digital Vision/Getty Images leopard The tiger usually hunts by night and preys on a variety of animals, but it prefers fairly large prey such as deer ( sambar , chital , and swamp deer) and wild pigs. A special liking for porcupines, despite the danger of injury from their quills, is an exception. Healthy large mammals are generally avoided, although there have been recorded instances of the tiger’s having attacked elephants and adult water buffalo. Cattle are occasionally taken from human habitations, and some tigers can thrive on domestic livestock. After making a kill and consuming what it can, it makes a deliberate attempt to hide the carcass from vultures and other scavengers so that another meal can be obtained. Tigers are not averse to commandeering a kill from other tigers or leopards, and they sometimes eat carrion. Skill in killing and obtaining prey is only partly instinctive, maternal training being essential for proficiency. For this reason, tigers raised in captivity would not fare well if released into the wild.

As the top predator throughout its range, the tiger plays a major role in controlling not only its prey population but that of other predators such as the leopard , dhole (Asiatic wild dog), and clouded leopard . No trait of the tiger has fascinated humans more than man eating. A number of reasons account for this—disability caused by age or injury, paucity of prey, acquisition of the habit from the mother, or defense of cubs or kill. With the reduction in the number of tigers, the occurrence of man-eating tigers has become rare except in the Sundarbans, the northeast Indian state of Uttar Pradesh , and neighbouring Nepal in and around Royal Chitwan National Park. Learn about the feeding habits of sikas and Siberian, or Amur, tigers. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent As solitary animals, tigers (especially males) establish and maintain their own territories, the size and nature of which vary with the number and distribution of prey, the presence of other tigers in the area, the nature of the terrain, the availability of water, and individual characteristics.

Spacing between individuals and maintenance of territories are achieved through vocalization, scrapings on the ground, claw marking of trees, fecal deposits, scent deposited by the rubbing of facial glands, and spraying of urine mixed with scent secreted from the anal glands. The solitary nature of the species also helps minimize territorial conflict. Nonetheless, confrontations do occur, sometimes resulting in injury and even death. The Big Cats The readiness of a tigress to mate is announced through vocalization and scent production. There is no fixed breeding season, though the preponderance of mating appears to occur in winter, with striped cubs being born after a gestation period of more than three months. The normal litter size is two to four, though up to seven cubs have been recorded. They are born blind, and, even when their eyes open, opacity prevents clear vision for six to eight weeks. There is thus a long period of weaning, tutelage, and training during which cub mortality is high, especially if food is scarce. During this time the offspring must endure long periods of absence by the mother while she is away hunting. Weaker cubs get less food because of the aggressiveness of their stronger siblings as food is less frequently made available.

The cubs remain with the mother until about the second year, when they are nearly adult and are able to kill prey for themselves. Male cubs grow more quickly than females and tend to leave their mother earlier. Though cub infanticide (mainly by males) is known, it is not very unusual to find a male with a tigress and cubs, even sharing a kill. Such associations, however, do not last long. The tigress does not breed again until her cubs are independent. The average life span of a tiger in the wild is about 11 years. Female Bengal tiger with her cubs (Panthera tigris tigris). © Tom Brakefield/CORBIS Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Next to the elephant and the lion, no wild animal is so frequently portrayed in Asian art and lore. The persistent practices of using tiger parts as talismans, tonics, or medicine, despite all scientific evidence contrary to their efficacy , are manifestations of beliefs that emanate from the aura of the tiger and the awe that it has inspired for millennia. Certain animist communities still worship the tiger.

Every 12th year of the Chinese calendar is the year of the tiger, and children born in it are considered especially lucky and powerful. In Hindu mythology the tiger is the vahana (“vehicle”) of the goddess Durga . Tigers are represented on seals from the ancient Indus civilization . The greatest of the Gupta emperors of ancient India, Samudra , minted special gold coins depicting him slaying tigers. Tippu Sultan even vented his frustration at his inability to defeat the British by ordering a special life-size toy, replete with sound, of a tiger mauling a British soldier. At the beginning of the 20th century, the world’s tiger population was estimated at 100,000, even though they had been hunted for at least a thousand years. Tigers were prized as trophies and as a source of skins for expensive coats. They were also killed on the grounds that they posed a danger to humans. As the century drew to a close, only 5,000 to 7,500 were left in the wild, and captive tigers may now outnumber wild ones.

Since then, the world’s tiger population has declined to about 3,200 animals. The South China tiger (P. tigris amoyensis) is the most endangered, with only a few dozen animals remaining. The Malayan subspecies (P. tigris jacksoni), which was determined to be genetically distinct from the Indo-Chinese subspecies (P. tigris corbetti) in 2004, is composed of perhaps 500 individuals. The Siberian and Sumatran subspecies number less than 500 each, and the Indo-Chinese population is estimated at about 1,000. Three subspecies have gone extinct within the past century: the Caspian (P. tigris virgata) of central Asia, the Javan (P. tigris sondaica), and the Bali (P. tigris balica). Because the tiger is so closely related to the lion , they can be crossbred in captivity. The offspring of such matings are called tigons when the male (sire) is a tiger and ligers when the sire is a lion. Siberian tiger (P. tigris altaica).

© Purestock/Punchstock Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Serious concern for the declining number of tigers was expressed during the latter half of the 20th century, and gradually all countries in the tiger’s range took measures to protect the animal, but with varying degrees of success. The tiger is now legally protected throughout its range, but law enforcement is not universally effective. India , which accounts for half the world’s tiger population, declared it the national animal and launched Project Tiger in 1973, a successful program under which selected tiger reserves received special conservation efforts and status. Nepal, Malaysia , and Indonesia have set up a string of national parks and sanctuaries where the animal is effectively protected; Thailand , Cambodia , and Vietnam are pursuing the same course. China, the only country with three subspecies of tigers, is also giving special attention to conservation. In Russia , where poaching seriously endangered the Siberian tiger, concentrated effort and effective patrolling have resulted in a revival of the subspecies. Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

In the 1970s tiger hunting for sport was banned in most countries where tigers lived, and the trade in tiger skins was outlawed. Nevertheless, tiger skins are still highly valued for display and for worship, as are claws, teeth, and clavicles for talismans. Skulls, bones, whiskers, sinews, meat, and blood have long been used by Asians, especially the Chinese, in medicines, potions, and even wine. These products are presumed to be useful in the treatment of rheumatism, rat bites, and various other diseases, for the restoration of energy, and as aphrodisiacs; whiskers are believed to cause intestinal ulcers in one’s enemies. Poaching and the underground trade in tiger parts continue despite seizures and destruction of the confiscated parts. Trending Topics Bengal Tiger - Land Mammal - The Bengal Tiger - Ground Mammals Bengal Tiger - Land Mammal - The Bengal Tiger - Ground Mammals Popular Pages Follow It's Nature on Facebook Bengal Tiger The Tiger is one of the big four in the cat world. Tigers are native to Asia, and are a predator cat. They are the largest cat in the world.

Bengal Tiger The Bengal tiger is the most common tiger that exists today, and makes up about eighty percent of all tigers. Tigers live a very solitary life and are extremely territorial. They prefer to live in the depths of the forest, but will also range and hunt in the open areas, grasslands and fields. They stalk a prey animal and will ambush it, taking a great variety of prey for food. Male tigers are a great deal larger then their female counterparts and have a much larger ranging area. Tigers are the weightiest of the cats which are in the wild. Large Siberian males can reach a whopping 9 feet in length and weigh well over 600 pounds. The heaviest Indian Tiger found weighed in at about 857 pounds. The females, being much smaller, weight about 200-300 pounds. Tigers have reddish brown fur with a very distinctive stripe that is brown to deep black. Most tigers have more than one hundred stipes on them and each animal has its own pattern, much like a human fingerprint is unique to its owner. Scientists think the stripes were for camouflage to help the tiger hunt.

It is hard to use this to identify the individual tigers as no one seems to be able to record the stripe patterns accurately due to the need to be close for an extended period of time. Imagine that. The stripes are not just on the fur, but on the skin of the tiger. If a tiger were completely shaved, his skin would have all the stripes still on it. Bengal Tiger Adult tigers are territorial and fiercely defensive. The size of a tigers home range mainly depends on prey abundance and in case of male tigers on access to females. A tigress may have a territory of about twenty five miles, with the males territory being a great deal larger. Sometimes the territories will overlap and although they are in fact very territorial, it seems that females will tolerate each others incursioins into their territory, while the males do not. They have amazing disputes which can end in the death of one of the males. To identify his territory the male sprays the trees with his urine, scenting them to warn off other tigers, and sometimes to bring in females who are receptive to mating. Male tigers will mingle with females in their own territory and even sometimes share their prey, even with females with cubs.

Females are very often reluctant to let males near their cubs, but in some cases, the females will permit the male near them, and he will allow the cubs to eat. A female can mate only a few days during her season, and the tigers will mate a lot during that time span. They will then carry the cubs for about 100 days, before giving birth to 3 or 4 little ones, which weigh only about two pounds when they are born. The female tigers raise the young alone, and are fiercely protective of them because wandering males will kill cubs occasionally to bring the female back into season to mate. At about 8 weeks old the little tigers will leave the den for the first time, and watch the mother hunt. They are not independent of mother tiger until they are about 18 months old. Tigers are found in a variety of habitats. Compared to other cats such as the lion tigers like more dense thick cover to hide in. Tigers are very strong swimmers and may follow and take prey in the water as well as on land.

Bengal Tiger In the wild, tigers mostly feed on larger and medium sized prey, but if game is scarce they will take smaller prey and more of it, in order to feed themselves and their offspring. Find out more about the Bengal Tiger over at Wikipedia » See what you can find... victor trevino Bengal tiger | mammal | Britannica.com Bengal tiger THIS IS A DIRECTORY PAGE. Britannica does not currently have an article on this topic. Alternative Titles: Indian tiger, Panthera tigris tigris Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. A tiger on a road near Ranthambhor, eastern Rajasthan, India. G. Ziesler/Bruce Coleman Ltd. Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). © Kitch Bain/Shutterstock.com Bengal tiger in Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India. © UryadnikovS/Fotolia Female Bengal tiger with her cubs (Panthera tigris tigris). © Tom Brakefield/CORBIS Learn about this topic in these articles: in tiger ...are endangered. The Siberian, or Amur, tiger ( P.

tigris altaica) is the largest, measuring up to 4 metres (13 feet) in total length and weighing up to 300 kg (660 pounds). The Indian, or Bengal, tiger ( P. tigris tigris) is the most numerous and accounts for about half of the total tiger population. Males are larger than females and may attain a shoulder height of about 1 metre... Tiger | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants SUBSPECIES: 6 ABOUT Black and white and orange all over: The beautiful, striped coat and that powerful, mesmerizing gaze make the tiger one of the world’s most revered animals. It’s a reverence that’s mixed with a bit of fear, an appropriate reaction to a large, well-muscled, swift hunter with inch-long claws and 3-inch-long (7 centimeter) canine teeth. The tiger is a stalk-and-ambush hunter, and the distinctive stripes are good camouflage in the long grass or wooded forests of their diverse habitat. Dark stripes on a pale background break up the tiger’s outline as it lies in wait for prey to come near.

Tigers can also be black with tan stripes, all white (albino), or white and tan. The “white tigers” found in some zoos are not albino but rather the white-and-tan color variation with blue eyes (true albinos have pink eyes). HABITAT AND DIET There are currently six subspecies of tigers, each living in different habitats: flooded mangrove forests, arid forests, tropical forests, and taiga. The different subspecies are found in small areas of Asia, India, and Russia. The largest subspecies lives in snowy areas of Russia. The smallest and darkest subspecies is found farther south, in the jungles of Indonesia. Female tigers are always smaller than males. Young Amur tiger in the snow. Amur or Siberian tiger Panthera tigris altaica: The largest of the tiger subspecies, males can be as long as a station wagon! These tigers also have the palest orange coat and the fewest stripes, to help it blend in with its snow-covered habitat. As it lives in a very cold climate, the Siberian tiger’s coat grows longer and thicker than other tiger subspecies, and it develops a layer of fat for insulation.

There are less than 400 Siberian tigers left in their home range of eastern Russia and northeastern China. Bengal tiger sitting in a tree, India. Bengal or Indian tiger Panthera tigris tigris: This is the most common subspecies of tiger and is almost as large as the Siberian tiger. Fewer than 2,500 Bengal tigers remain in their native habitat of India, Nepal, and Pakistan. By Lotse (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Indochinese tiger Panthera tigris corbetti: These tigers are about 20 percent smaller and are darker than Bengal tigers. Less than 2,500 Indochinese tigers are believed left in the wild of Southeast Asia. Malayan tiger Malayan tiger Panthera tigris jacksoni: This is the subspecies you’ll see at the San Diego Zoo. In the wild, only about 1,400 Malayan tigers remain, found on the Malay Peninsula.

Sumatran tiger Sumatran tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae: Even though the Sumatran is the smallest tiger subspecies, it’s still a pretty big cat. Imagine a tiger the same length as a school cafeteria table! Its orange coat is darker than other subspecies, as it is native to dark jungle habitat on the island of Sumatra; the sides of the face have longer fur, perhaps as protection against jungle plants. The Safari Park has a small group of Sumatran tigers, but in the wild there are less than 400 remaining. South China tiger Panthera tigris amoyensis: These tigers are slightly smaller than the Indochinese subspecies. In the 1950s, the Chinese government ordered that these tigers be destroyed because they were viewed as pests. Today, it is believed that the South China tiger is most likely extinct in the wild. Tigers are seldom far from a water source; there are Bengal tigers that live in wet mangrove forests along the Ganges River in India. Excellent and powerful swimmers, tigers are often found during the day relaxing or waiting to ambush prey in ponds, streams, and rivers.

They seek out water to swim while most cats avoid it. Tigers even have partially webbed toes and aren’t discouraged by a river if there is prey on the other side. A tiger’s front paws are large and strong to bring down prey. The claws can be pulled inside while the tiger walks, which helps keep the claws sharp. Tigers also use their claws to mark their territory by scratching on trees. Conveniently, this also sharpens the claws. Tigers are patient hunters and can move slowly and quietly, stalking their prey (usually hoofed animals) for 20 or 30 minutes. A tiger’s large canine teeth and powerful jaws are used to grab a prey animal by the neck and suffocate it. Tigers use their sandpaper-rough tongues to scrape the last bits of meat from the bones of a meal. A tiger makes a kill once or twice a week and eats as much as it can. Using its paws, it then covers the leftovers with grass and dirt to hide it from vultures and other scavengers. The tiger returns to the kill over the next few days for smaller snacks.

In the wild, they prefer pigs and deer, while in some parts of Asia a tiger may bring down a rhino or elephant calf. At the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the tigers are fed a specialized carnivore diet, carcasses, and large bones. FAMILY LIFE Going it alone: Tigers are generally solitary cats, unless a female is caring for her cubs, and maintain a home range that can be several square miles, depending on habitat and the amount of prey available; males tend to have larger territories than the females. The Siberian tiger has the largest range (more than 4,000 square miles or 10,000 square kilometers have been recorded) as food is scarcer, so the tiger has to travel farther to secure a meal. Some tigers defend their territory from other tigers while others often share their range. A female tiger in estrus leaves urine “messages” on trees and other places to let males know of her reproductive status. Through loud moaning calls, a male and female can find each other for breeding and may stay together for a few days before going their separate ways.

Tiger cubs are born small and helpless, but the mother must leave them alone while she hunts. A female can have a litter of up to seven cubs every two years. In the wild, the mother could not kill enough prey to feed so many hungry cubs, so usually only two survive. At eight weeks old, cubs join their mother when hunting, and at six months they are ready to learn how to kill cattle, deer, and pigs. Cubs seem to know from the start that they are tigers and practice their hunting skills with each other in what could be considered a form of extreme tag, since the cubs chase, tackle, and wrestle each other, growling ferociously all the while. They often practice ambush skills on their resting mother! Most tiger cubs are weaned when they are about five or six months old, but they usually stay with their mother for about two years and don’t hunt on their own until they leave. Yet up to half of tiger cubs born do not survive their first year, succumbing to starvation, disease, competition with other species, accidents, and injuries while hunting.

Although not as social as lions, tigers vocalize more frequently and have a wide range of vocalizations, including roars, grunts, hisses, and chuffles. A roar is made when challenging other tigers at long range, defending a meal, or attracting a breeding partner; a chuffle is a friendly greeting, usually used between a mother and her cubs. Other forms of tiger communication include spraying urine, leaving piles of feces where they can be seen, and clawing trees or the ground—all to say “this area is mine!” AT THE ZOO Mesmerizing and gorgeous, but also endangered, our tigers are always a pleasure to watch. Over the years, we have had over 100 Bengal, Siberian, Sumatran, and Malayan tigers born at our two facilities. The San Diego Zoo is currently home to Malayan tiger Connor. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is home to Sumatran tiger adult males Teddy and Langka; adult females Majel and Joanne; and Joanne's cubs—Suka, a male born in September 2015; and Nelson, Cathy, and Debbie, born in January 2016.

Our most famous tiger was Blanca, the white Bengal tiger who came to the San Diego Zoo after being confiscated as a cub by the U.S. Customs Service—she was traveling from San Diego to Mexico in the back seat of someone's car! While her owners explained to officials that the cat was returning to a private zoo in Mexico, young Blanca (she was under three months old at the time) was romping in the back seat and peering out the car's windows. Because special permits are required to transport tigers, the tiger cub was confiscated. However, with no facilities to keep a tiger, the Customs Service temporarily relocated the cub to the San Diego Zoo's own Children's Zoo, where she soon became a favorite of guests and employees. In March 1992, she officially became part of the Zoo family. In 1996, she moved to the Safari Park, where she continued to thrive and delight guests with her unusual beauty until her passing in 2012. Tigers at the Zoo and Safari Park receive a hearty meat-based diet, imaginative enrichment items, and basic behavioral training for husbandry.

For example, our tigers are taught to “rise up” on their hind legs to allow staff to inspect their bellies and paws, they learn to open their mouths so we can ensure their teeth are healthy, and they accept blood draws from the base of their tail for laboratory analysis. All this minimizes stress on the animals in the long run, since they do not have to be tranquilized for a trip to the veterinary hospital for every health issue. Scent is also important to tigers, and it is sometimes used as enrichment, keeping the cats engaged in their environment. Scents include donated perfumes and different herbs and spices, which are dabbed onto burlap sacks or sprinkled in their bedrooms, and the cats joyfully roll around on the scents for hours. The Safari Park's state-of-the-art Tiger Trail features forest clearings, tiger viewing areas, and a pool for the cool cats. Tiger Trail also plays an integral role in the conservation of Sumatran tigers. We have had 27 Sumatran tigers born at the Park. Scientists estimate this tiger subspecies could be extinct in their native Sumatra by 2020 unless drastic measures are taken to protect and preserve them.

Watch the Safari Park's tigers daily on Tiger Cam ! CONSERVATION Tiger cures? There are six subspecies of tiger living today, all highly endangered due to human hunting and encroachment on their forest habitat. To people of many cultures, the tiger is a symbol of strength and courage. But if tigers are so admired, why are they endangered? For many years, tigers have been hunted for their fur and other body parts, some of which are used in native medicines. In some cultures, people hunt tigers for sport or to demonstrate their own bravery. Tiger hunting continues today because the body parts can be sold for a lot of money. Several traditional medicines use tiger parts as a cure for all kinds of illnesses, from pimples to toothaches. These “cures” have never been proven to be effective. Tigers also suffer from habitat loss. When people move into areas where tigers live, tigers are forced into smaller and smaller areas where there may not be enough food for the big cats to survive. Tiger researchers estimate that there are no more than 5,000 tigers in the world. But there is a lot of work being done to make sure that tigers will survive.

In the early 1970s, India began passing laws against killing tigers. Since then, other countries with wild tigers have passed similar laws. Many countries around the world, including the United States, have passed laws to stop the sale of products made from tiger parts. International projects exist that help protect wild tiger habitat. Zoos help tigers through breeding programs and by teaching people around the world about these cats. San Diego Zoo Global has teamed with Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia, a major habitat for Sumatran tigers Panthera tigris sumatrae. We are funding studies to determine the number and distribution of these critically endangered big cats. You can help us bring species back from the brink by supporting the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy . Together we can save and protect wildlife around the globe. Sounds Bengal Tiger - Panthera tigris tigris Bengal Tiger Genus: Panthera Species: tigris tigris The Bengal Tiger is a beautiful animal. The base color is orange/brown, and white on the cheeks, mouth, eyebrows, and stomach. The tiger also has long black stripes on it. The weight of the tiger can be up to 575 pounds.

The Bengal tiger is not the biggest tiger in the world, Its cousin the Siberian tiger is the largest tiger. The body of the Bengal tiger is broad with legs that are slender. The fur of the tiger is very fine in texture. The Bengal tiger is very sneaky and quiet. The cubs look the same. The Bengal tiger can get up to ten feet long and three feet tall. The Bengal tiger lives in the Sundarban regions of India, Bangladesh, China, Siberia, and Indonesia. The tiger reaches maturity at the age of five, and the life span of the tiger is about 15 years. The Bengal tiger mates about any time of year. The Bengal tiger can have a litter of up to four cubs. The cubs don't hunt for themselves until they are at least 18 months old. Then they go hunting with their mother. The gestation period is about three months and ten days. The Bengal tiger is a carnivore. It eats boars, wild oxen, monkeys, and other animals. The Bengal tiger can catch big animals, but prefers killing either young or old animals because they don't run as fast. The Bengal tiger is a nocturnal and greatly feared predator.

It eats wild oxen and other animals, which eat plants , which are part of the food web. So it helps balance the web. In the year 1900 there were 50,000 tigers on the earth, but now there is only 4,000 left in the world. So you can see that the population has decreased because of poachers and other cruel and selfish people. The Bengal tiger is protected in many places such as: The Nagarahole National Park 250 guards, and The Ranthambhore National Park 60 guards. The guards in the national parks are important because they know the kind of tools and weapons poachers use, so the guards can identify poachers. In India the Indian government made an effort to save the tigers. It was called "Project Tiger", and it was thought up in 1972 from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Under this protection from the government, hunting and trading tiger parts were banned. A sad thing happened 8 years ago when 850 pounds of tiger bones, which adds up to about 42 tigers were found in New Delhi, India hunted by poachers.

The reason why poachers and other people hunt beautiful animals like tigers is because the eyes, bones, and even whiskers are very valuable to researchers who are making medicine to treat or cure human ailment, and to give people a longer life. Babette B. 2001 Animals Who Share a Habitat With the Tiger | Animals - mom.me Animals Who Share a Habitat With the Tiger "My habitat is shrinking." John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images Tigers are magnificent big cats that lived in an expansive territory ranging from eastern Turkey to Manchuria. Their population has decreased radically, though there are still some to be found in China, Russia, parts of India, Korea and the Himalayan region. The worldwide tiger population is estimated to be fewer than 3,500, with some species nearly extinct. The animals tigers share their habitat with vary according to the species of tiger and where it's found. Bengal Tigers There are about 1,850 Bengal tigers in the wild, the most plentiful of all tigers. Home for Bengals is the mountains, forests and grasslands of parts of South Asia.

Other animals in the Bengal's habitat include snow leopard, red panda, Asian elephant and greater one-horned rhino. The Bengal is considered endangered by the World Wildlife Fund, in large part due to conflict with humans. Poaching and "retaliation killings," where people kill tigers for getting into crops or killing livestock, are causing their numbers to shrink. Siberian Tigers The World Wildlife Fund puts the Siberian's population at about 450. These cats live in parts of North Korea, northeast China and eastern Russia, also known as the Amur Region. It's a mountainous area that can be bitter cold in the winter with hot summers. Other animals sharing the Siberian's habitat -- and serving as its supper -- include deer, elk and wild boar. Amur leopards are also in the region. Siberian tigers are threatened by poachers and habitat loss from logging, road construction, mining and urban expansion. Indochinese Tiger There are an estimated 300 Indochinese tigers in the wild, spread across southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and eastern Myanmar. Their habitat is composed mainly of forests with mountainous terrain.

Other animals in the habitat include other tigers, elephants, leopards, deer, buffalo and wild boar. Indochinese tigers are threatened by poachers, loss of prey and loss of habitat. Malayan Tiger The Malayan tiger's range is limited to the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, in small forests and abandoned agricultural land. The tigers share their habitat with their prey, which includes sun bear, deer and wild boar. Other animals in the Malay Peninsula include the Asian elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros and Malayan tapir. The tigers are threatened by logging operations and road development, as well as human-tiger conflict. Sharing Space There are six species of tigers, and all of them share their habitat with animals that will serve as nutrition. Tigers are carnivores after all; an adult tiger can consume up to 88 pounds at one time. Tigers in India have domestic and water buffalo, wild boar, and several species of deer to dine on. Other tigers will include fish, monkeys, snakes and birds in their diet, depending on what their home range is.

Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) - Animals - A-Z Animals Five groups that classify all living things Animalia A group of animals within the animal kingdom Chordata A group of animals within a pylum Mammalia A group of animals within a class Carnivora A group of animals within an order Felidae A group of animals within a family Panthera Comprised of the genus followed by the species Panthera Tigris Tigris The animal group that the species belongs to Mammal What kind of foods the animal eats Carnivore How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is 2.4m - 3.3m (6.8ft - 11ft) The measurement of how heavy the animal is 140kg - 300kg (309lbs - 660lbs) The fastest recorded speed of the animal 96km/h (60mph) How long the animal lives for 18 - 25 years Whether the animal is solitary or sociable Solitary The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct Endangered The colour of the animal's coat or markings Orange, Black, White The protective layer of the animal

 Fur The specific area where the animal lives Dense tropical forest and mangroves The average number of babies born at once 3 Other animals that hunt and eat the animal Human Striped fur and large body size Bengal Tiger Location Map of Asia Bengal Tiger The Bengal tiger (also known as the Royal Bengal tiger) is a subspecies of tiger , found across the Indian subcontinent.

The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and is considered to be the second largest tiger in the world. The Bengal tiger is the most numerous species of tiger in Asia and is found in dense forests and mangrove swamps and jungles throughout India , Bangladesh , Bhutan and Nepal , although the Bengal tiger's range today is much smaller than it once was. The Bengal tiger is considered to be the second largest species of tiger , although recent reports suggest that the Bengal tiger is on average, larger than the Siberian tiger . The Bengal tiger has a yellow or light orange coat, with black or dark brown stripes and a white belly. The white tiger is a Bengal tiger that has mutated genes, meaning that it is white in colour with black stripes. Black tigers are known to have black fur with lighter coloured stripes but are even rarer than the white tiger. The Bengal tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator , hunting its prey by stalking it until the Bengal tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. Bengal tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer , wild boar , cattle and goats. Due to the size and power of the Bengal tiger , it has no natural predators in its native environment .

Humans that hunt the Bengal tiger and habitat loss are the only threats to the Bengal tiger. After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female Bengal tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn Bengal tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for about 2 months and then the Bengal tiger cubs are introduced to meat. Bengal tiger cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own. Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the Bengal tiger is considered to be an endangered species . Despite being the most common of all the tiger species , there are thought to be around 2,000 Bengal tigers left in the wild. Share This Article The Truth About White Tigers - The Wildcat Sanctuary Home » The Truth About White Tigers The Truth About White Tigers By Staff2 | January 15, 2014 at 11:00 am | No comments | Featured , TWS in the News What is a white tiger – really?

White tigers are very popular with pseudo sanctuaries, breeders and exhibitors as they tend to bring in more visitors and more money. White tigers are Bengal tigers . They’re not albino or their own separate species, as many people think. White tigers occur when two Bengal tigers that carry a recessive gene controlling coat color are bred together. It’s been said the entire captive white tiger population originated from one single white tiger and has been inbred ever since. In order to retain this recessive gene, zoos and breeders must continually inbreed father to daughter and father to granddaughter and so on. This inbreeding has caused many genetic problems with tigers such as cleft palates, scoliosis of the spine, mental impairments and crossed eyes. Many of the cubs that are born either in zoos or by breeders have to be ‘disposed’ of because they are malformed at birth. White Bengal tigers have also been crossed with Siberian tigers to produce a larger specimen which in turn causes even more genetic problems. For years, breeders and exhibitors have been using the excuse that white tigers are an endangered species so they need to keep breeding them. This is completely false.

Breeders of white tigers do not contribute to any species survival plan ; they are breeding for money. In reality, the breeding of white tigers compounds the problem by giving the general public a completely incorrect image of these powerful wild predators. It’s also caused a giant surplus of normal golden-colored tigers in the private sector worldwide since most litters have several unwanted golden tigers, too. Out of a litter of cubs, the breeders will pick the white cubs that bring in a lot more money on the market and euthanize, inhumanely destroy or neglect the cubs that do not meet the color requirement. You can read the June 2011 AZA White Paper declaring the practice of breeding white tigers as “not in adherence with AZA’s Board-approved Policy on the Presentation of Animals” HERE . Meet Sierra Sierra came with Ekaterina , another tiger, as part of a big cat rescue from Wild Animal Orphanage once it closed down. They originated from an exploitative breeder in Ohio. It took the combined efforts of the USDA, undercover agents and concerned citizens seven years to shut down the Siberian Tiger Foundation.

This breeder charged the public to pet adult lions and tigers that were declawed and chained down to a platform. During this time, the USDA investigation included eight allegations of attacks on visitors in an eight month period. Once the facility was closed down, Joseph and his lion pride were placed at Big Cat Rescue of Florida. The Wildcat Sanctuary offered to take the remaining tigers, Ekaterina and Sierra, but they were transported to the Wild Animal Orphanage (WAO) in Texas with funds from IFAW instead. In 2010, WAO was forced to close its doors. Life came full circle for Sierra and Ekaterina when they finally arrived at The Wildcat Sanctuary. The two girls are doing wonderfully. Sierra especially loves her tug toy and lounging all day in her fire-hose hammock. Sierra and Ekaterina, two Bengal tigers are featured in a 20/20 news story about the dangers of animal exhibitors. This story, along with the video, gives us a glimpse into the past of Sierra and Ekaterina and all they have had to endure. They are wild animals and it is a real shame that they were forced to be anything but that.

Don’t miss any future rescue announcements, get the latest news HERE . Tiger facts photos and videos, siberian tiger, bengal tiger, amur tiger Bengal Tiger – Panthera tigris tigris 1200-1500 left Siberian (Amurian) Tiger – Panthera tigris altaica 331 left Sumatran Tiger – Panthera tigris sumatrae 136 left Indo-Chinese Tiger – Panthera tigris corbetti Malayan Tiger – Panthera tigris jacksoni ** South China Tiger – Panthera tigris amoyensis 37 left Javan Tiger – Panthera tigris sondaica – extinct since early 1980’s Bali Tiger – Panthera tigris balica – extinct since the 1940’s Caspian Tiger – Panthera tigris virgata – formerly thought to be extinct since the early 1970’s * *1/16/09 A team of scientists from Oxford University and the NCI Laboratory of Genomic Diversity in the USA have discovered that the Caspian Tiger and the Siberian Tiger have the same DNA.

The tiger sub-species studied were the Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata), the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), the Indian – Bengal – tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and the South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis). The Caspian tiger was found to differ by only one nucleotide of its mitochondrial DNA from the Siberian tiger: other tiger sub-species differ by at least two nucleotides. **In 2004, the tigers of Peninsular Malaysia were recognized as a new subspecies, Panthera tigris jacksoni, when a genetic analysis found that they are distinct in mtDNA and micro-satellite sequences from tigers of northern Indochina, P. t. corbetti (Luo et al., 2004). However, Mazak and Groves (2006) found no clear morphological differences (in cranial measurements or pelage characteristics) between tigers from Peninsular Malaysia and those elsewhere in Indochina, and argue for inclusion in P. t. corbetti. P. t.

jacksoni is provisionally accepted here. The geographic division between P. t. jacksoniand P. t. corbetti is unclear as tiger populations in northern Malaysia are contiguous with those in southern Thailand (T. Lynam pers. comm. 2008). Misc: This species has been (and is still) widely hunted throughout its range for sport, for the fur trade, and for the traditional Asian medicine market. For the medicine trade – no part of the Tiger’s body goes unused (see diagram below). The tiger is one of the best known mammals, and has become a symbol everywhere for conservation. Today, sadly, there are more tigers in captivity then exist in the wild. There are thought to be between 5,000 and 10,000 tigers in U.S. cages and 90% of them are in miserable roadside zoos, backyard breeder facilities, circus wagons and pet homes. Read about the conviction of those involved in canned hunts in the US. The numbers on the tiger illustrate parts of the tiger that are traded on the black market. These myths are why the tiger has been hunted nearly to extinction.

Size and Appearance: The largest of all the living cats, the tiger is immediately recognizable by its unique reddish – orange coat with black stripes. Stripe patterns differ among individuals and are as unique to the animal as are fingerprints to humans. The dark lines above the eyes tend to be symmetrical, but the marks on the sides of the face and body can be different. Males have a prominent ruff or collar, which is especially pronounced in the Sumatran tiger. One single white cub was found in the wild and taken by a hunter who killed his mother and normal colored siblings. He was named Mohan and is the progenitor of most white tigers now in captivity. White tigers would never survive in the wild as the white coat is only produced through severe inbreeding. White tigers have brown stripes and crystal blue eyes, and some specimens in captivity have no stripes at all. Black tigers have been reported, but only a single pelt from illegal traders remains the only evidence. The pelt shows that the black only occurs on the top of the head and back, but turns into stripes down the sides, unlike in other cats that are completely and truly black (or melanistic).

Body size of the tiger varies with latitude, the smallest occurring at low latitudes in Indonesia and the largest at high altitudes in Manchuria and Siberia. The largest, the Siberian tiger can reach weights exceeding 700 pounds and reach lengths of 10+ feet, and the smallest, the Indonesian or Bali tiger weighing a mere 200 pounds with a total length of 7 ft. While Amur Tigers are usually the largest tigers in captivity the Indian tigers in the wild have proven to be larger than any recorded Siberian cats. Female Bengal tigers (panthera tigris tigris) will average 300 pounds and males 450. Several in Nepal have been recorded between 550 and 700. The largest Siberian on record is 845 pounds. The Guiness Book of Records has one tiger in India at 857 pounds, shot by a hunter from Philadelphia in 1967, near what is now Corbett Tiger Reserve.” Scientists in Russia report that no tigers immobilized by the Russian team have weighed as much as those in Chitwan. It probably is a function of habitat quality.

Siberian tigers have the potential for being the largest, and captive ones are larger than captive Bengals. But in the wild the prey base in Russia is not abundant enough for those tigers to realize their full potential. Prey is more scattered and the Russian tigers need huge territories to capture sufficient food, so much more energy is expended in the food quest. In sanctuaries tigers have lived up to 26 years, as compared to 15 in the wild. Tigers only live 10-12 years in most zoos. Habitat: Tigers occupy a wide variety of habitats including tropical evergreen forests, deciduous forests, coniferous woodlands (Taiga), mangrove swamps, thorn forests and grass jungles. The factors common to all of the tiger’s habitats are some form of dense vegetative cover, sufficient large prey, and access to water. Tigers are extremely adept swimmers and readily take to water. They have been recorded easily swimming across rivers achieving distances of just under 20 miles. The tiger also spends much of its time during the heat of the day during hot seasons half submerged in lakes and ponds to keep cool.

Indian tigers generally have a range of 8-60 square miles, based on availability of prey. Sumatran tigers have a range of about 150 square miles. Due to the severity of the climate and lack of prey, the Siberian tiger can require a range of 400 square miles. Tigers have lost more than 40% of their habitat in the past decade. (1) Distribution: Indian subcontinent, Amur River region of Russia, China, North Korea, Sumatra, Indonesia, and Continental southeast Asia. In 2004, the Malayan tiger was declared a separate sub species from the Indochinese sub species of tiger. Found exclusively in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula. It is the third largest tiger population behind the Bengal tiger and the Indochinese tiger. Reproduction and Offspring: Tigers will mate throughout the year, but most frequently between the end of November to early April. After a gestation of 103 days a litter of up to 7 cubs, although averaging 3, is born. Cubs will leave their mothers as young as 18 months old, or as old as 28 months old.

During the first year, mortality can be as high as 35%, and of that 73% of the time it is the entire litter that is lost. The main causes of infant mortality are fire, floods, and infanticide, with the latter being the leading cause. Females tend to reproduce around 3 ½ years and males just under 5 years. In captivity, females have produced through age 14. Social System and Communication: Tigers, like most cats are solitary, however, they are not anti-social. Males not only come together with females for breeding, but will feed with or rest with females and cubs. There have actually been reports of some tigers socializing and traveling in groups. Females with cubs have also been seen coming together to share meals. Most likely, in all of these cases they are somehow related. Males will kill cubs from other males, so it is likely that the offspring in question is his own. The females most likely are mother and daughter with overlapping home ranges.

Hear our roars, chuffs, hisses, snarls, calls, and growl sounds HERE Hunting and Diet: Tigers hunt primarily between dusk and dawn, and they attack using the same method as do the lions. They stalk, chase, and attack, bringing down and killing the prey with usually a bite to the nape of the neck or the throat. The bite to the throat allows the tiger the ability to suffocate the prey bringing death relatively quickly and painlessly. Smaller animals are often killed with the bite to the nape of the neck allowing the tiger to to fracture the vertebrae and compress the spinal chord of its victim. Once killed, the tiger either drags or carries its meal into cover. The tiger’s enormous strength allows it to drag an animal that would require 13 adult men to move. Tigers consume anywhere from 35 – 90 pounds of meat at one sitting, beginning at the rump of the prey. If undisturbed, they will return to the carcass for 3-6 days, feeding until it has completely consumed its kill.

Because tigers are not the most successful of hunters, only killing 1 in every 10-20 attempts, it may be several days before it has its next meal. In the wild, cooperative hunting among tigers has also been observed where couples and families hunted like a pride of lions. This, however, is the exception not the rule. Unlike the other felids, man is a regular part of the tiger’s diet and has earned them greatest reputation as man-eaters. The most common prey items are various species of deer and pig, but they will also take crocodiles, young elephants and rhinos, monkeys, birds, fish, leopards, bears, and even their own kind. They have also been reported to eat carrion. Status: IUCN: Endangered Felid TAG recommendation: Tiger (Panthera tigris). The SSP for tigers supports a target population of 150-160 individuals for each of three subspecies. The Amur (formerly called the Siberian) Tiger SSP is nearly 20 years old, has functioned well with this target population, and has periodically obtained new founders from orphan situations or as F1 captive-born individuals from Europe.

Its goals are not likely to change in the future. The Sumatran Tiger SSP is well under its target population, and additional spaces are readily available, especially in zoos located in warmer climates. Additional founders are periodically available from Sumatra via captive-bred individuals or wild-born tigers that must be removed from the wild. At this time, the Indochinese or Corbett’s tiger also is included in the RCP (albeit present in only four zoos). Given the small founder population presently in the North American population, additional animals from range-country zoos that are unrelated to those in North America are being sought. Although still present in large but declining numbers, no space is allocated for hybrid tigers (including white tigers, tabby tigers, “snow tigers” and ligers since they are all inbred, crossbred, and suffer congenital birth defects). No purebred Bengal tigers exist in North America because the zoos hybridized all of their stock trying to produce white tigers that could survive the inbreeding necessary to create the white coat. Due to this and a lack of space, this race will not be targeted by the Felid TAG for inclusion in its RCP.

No one who breeds tigers outside of the Species Survival Plan which is only for AZA accredited zoos is really breeding for conservation. How rare is this cat ? The largest wild population of tigers are in India. According to statistics released in 2009 there are 1,200 – 1,500 tigers left on 27 wildlife reserves in 11 states in India. Tigers are no longer “burning bright” in our world’s most famous tiger preserves. Tiger numbers in the wild are thought to have plunged from 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to between 1,500 and 3,500 today. A century ago, India had some 100,000 tigers. Now, officials estimate they number about 1,200 – 1,500. The Bali, Javan, and Caspian subspecies, have become extinct in the past 70 years. The South China tiger is on the verge of extinction, with just 20 to 30 remaining in the wild.

The International Species Information Service lists in captivity 1,098 worldwide in captivity with 256 being registered with ISIS in the U.S. as purebred tigers, as of 2009. There are NO purebred Bengal tigers in the U.S. The only purebred tigers in the U.S. are in AZA zoos and include 133 Amur (AKA Siberian), 73 Sumatran and 50 Malayan tigers in the Species Survival Plan. All other U.S. captive tigers are inbred and cross bred and do not serve any conservation value. The rampant Pay to Play industry, that breeds these generic tigers solely to produce cubs that are marketed as “orphaned” or “rejected” to unwitting patrons is largely responsible for the decline of wild tiger populations. Cubs can only be used for public contact, according to USDA guidelines, until they are 12 weeks old. After that they are considered too dangerous and can bite off a finger. Animal exploiters constantly breed tigers to have plenty of profitable cubs on hand for petting and photo sessions.

Once they reach maturity they are often relegated to tiny, barren breeding pens to create more cubs, or can end up in “canned hunts” and on the menu because lions are not currently a protected species and it is impossible to tell tiger meat from lion meat. Update 1/4/2010: According to official statistics, as many as 59 tiger deaths were reported from across India in 2009 till December 8. Of the 59, 15 were “poached” while the remaining 44 died due to “illness and other causes”. Madhya Pradesh topped the charts with 13 tiger deaths followed by Assam (10), Karnataka (9) and Uttarakhand (7). 2009 saw the deaths of 85 tigers; more than a two-fold increase in the number of tiger deaths compared to 2008 and almost a two-fold increase compared to 2007. In all, 28 big cats were killed in 2008 and 30 in 2007.

NGOs, nevertheless, peg the number of tiger deaths at more than 53 in 2010 which is approximately one per week.

Question: Which mammal has types called Siberian and Bengal?
Answer: Tiger