The Tiger
The Tiger's Story
History
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species and a
member of the genus Panthera. It is most recognisable for its dark
vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator,
it primarily preys on ungulates, such as deer and wild boar. It is
territorial and generally a solitary but social predator, requiring
large contiguous areas of habitat to support its requirements for prey
and rearing of its offspring. Tiger cubs stay with their mother for
about two years and then become independent, leaving their mother's home
range to establish their own.
The tiger is among the most recognisable and popular of the world's
charismatic megafauna. It featured prominently in the ancient mythology
and folklore of cultures throughout its historic range and continues to
be depicted in modern films and literature, appearing on many flags,
coats of arms and as mascots for sporting teams. The tiger is the
national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and South Korea.
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Conservation Efforts
The tiger is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. As of 2015, the
global wild tiger population was estimated to number between 3,062 and
3,948 mature individuals, with most populations living in small isolated
pockets. India currently hosts the largest tiger population. Major
reasons for population decline are habitat destruction, habitat
fragmentation and poaching. Tigers are also victims of human–wildlife
conflict, due to encroachment in countries with a high human population
density.
In the 1990s, a new approach to tiger conservation was developed: Tiger
Conservation Units (TCUs), which are blocks of habitat that have the
potential to host tiger populations in 15 habitat types within five
bioregions. Altogether 143 TCUs were identified and prioritized based on
size and integrity of habitat, poaching pressure and population status.
They range in size from 33 to 155,829 km2 (13 to 60,166 sq mi). The
Wildlife Conservation Society and Panthera Corporation formed the
collaboration Tigers Forever, with field sites including the world's
largest tiger reserve, the 21,756 km2 (8,400 sq mi) Hukaung Valley in
Myanmar. Other reserves were in the Western Ghats in India, Thailand,
Laos, Cambodia, the Russian Far East covering in total about 260,000 km2
(100,000 sq mi).
Learn more about Tiger Conservation Efforts