FACTS ABOUT TIGERS
Tiger Facts Infographics
Tigers are the world's largest cats.
The largest cat species in the world weighs a whopping average of 800.278 pounds. To illustrate, that’s equivalent to the combined weight of ten average-sized kids.
Tigers like to swim.
Unlike other cat species, tigers often spend their time cooling off in streams and pools. In fact, tigers in the wild have regularly been observed swimming after a successful hunt.
Tigers hunt alone.
Although we see videos and documentaries of tigers living very close to each other, they are considered solitary hunters. Their hunting strategy focuses on stalking their prey, which would make it impractical to hunt in large numbers.
Tigers have "eyes" on the back of their ears.
Most establishments or personal spaces install CCTV cameras for extra security. As for tigers, they have their own “built in” cameras. It is believed that the white spots on a tiger’s ears function as its extra eyes that can detect attackers from behind.
Each tiger stripe pattern is unique.
Humans have a unique fingerprint that no one could ever copy. Just like us, tiger species have their own fur pattern, which means that no two tigers share the same stripes. Tiger stripes also run skin-deep – even if they go bald, you’d still see their unique stripes.
Female tigers usually give birth to blind cubs.
In an average lifetime of a female tiger, they can give birth to liters of 3-4 cubs. Born blind, baby tigers are virtually helpless. Tiger moms take care of their cubs until they can hunt on their own after 2- 3 years. The female tiger mostly takes responsibility of caring for its cubs since father tigers usually go back to their solitary nature of hunting.
Tigers are night owls.
Tigers prefer to hunt at night, since they generally avoid interacting with humans in the daylight. Aside form hunting, tigers would also patrol their territories at night, fighting off anything that would breach their spots.
Tiger saliva has antiseptic properties.
When tigers get bruised or wounded, they lick the affected area to disinfect and prevent any kind of infection as their saliva is a natural wound antiseptic. This healing property comes from a special protein found in their saliva, which quickens their recovery.
Tigers can mimic other animal sounds.
One big advantage for tigers when they hunt is their ability to imitate other animal calls to fool them into approaching. Definitely one of the more unexpected tiger facts.
Tigers close their eyes when they feel safe.
Since they can’t purr, tigers close their eyes to indicate contentment or calmness.
Tigers are India's national animal.
With 70% of the world’s tiger population living in India, it’s no surprise that the country declared them as its national animal in 1973. India even has tourist destinations where you can expect a packed cluster of tigers.
Bengal Tigers are the most known tiger subspecies.
The Bengal tiger may owe its popularity to a character featured in The Jungle Book. The Disney animation has Shere Khan, a bengal tiger, as its main antagonist.
The world's tiger capital is in India.
The swamp forest along Bangladesh and India’s borders holds the highest recorded casualties of Bengal Tiger attacks. On average, 100 people are killed in the area each year.
Black tigers are real.
It’s rare to see melanistic or black tigers, since none have been recorded in zoos. However, some tigers have such thick stripes that they appear to have a solid black coat.
Tigers are the most common big cat.
Although they’re among the most endangered, tigers still top the list of big cats in terms of their population. They are followed by lions, with jaguars for the third spot.
India has launched Project Tiger.
In the 1970s, India kicked off its conservation efforts to protect their national animal- the Bengal tigers. This effort has helped rehabilitate and maintain the Bengal tigers population through the years.
