The
legend:
Irrespective of the culture or language, the tiger is considered as the
undisputed ruler of its domain and it has had a profound influence on
village life in Asia over the centuries. In popular belief the tiger is the
oldest resident of the jungle, living there long before humans came. People
working in their gardens or in the forest do not dare to call the big cat by
its common names. Instead they use respectful titles like
'grandfather/grandmother in-the forest,' 'old man of the forest,' 'general'
or 'king of the forest.'
The tiger is variously feared, respected, admired and distrusted depending
on the context. The popular beliefs swing between its power to help or harm,
save or destroy; although, in Sumatra at least the final analysis is that
the tiger is thought of as a good and just animal and a friend rather than a
foe, who can be called on in times of illness or difficulty.
Variations of colours in tigers:
The majority of tigers are tawny brown in color with dark stripes and
whitish stomachs. Reports and records indicate however, that a few wild
tigers have been seen in unusual colors, including all white and all black .
Eyes: Tigers have round pupils and yellow irises (except
for the blue eyes of white tigers). Due to a retinal adaptation that
reflects light back to the retina, the night vision of tigers is six times
better than that of humans.
Claws: Like domestic cats, tiger claws are retractable. Tiger scratches on
trees serve as territorial markers.
Stripes: No one knows exactly why tigers are striped, but
scientists think that the stripes act as camouflage, and help tigers hide
from their prey. The Sumatran tiger has the most stripes of all the tiger
subspecies, and the Siberian tiger has the fewest stripes. Tiger stripes are
like human fingerprints; no two tigers have the same pattern of stripes.
Life span: The life span of tigers in the wild is thought to be
about 10 years. Tigers in zoos live twice as long.
Cubs: Tiger cubs are born blind and weigh only about 2 to 3 pounds
(1 kg), depending on the subspecies. They live on milk for 6-8 weeks before
the female begins taking them to kills to feed. Tigers have fully developed
canines by 16 months of age, but they do not begin making their own kills
until about 18 months of age.
Head: Often carries the Chinese mark of wang or king on the
forehead.
Distribution: Tigers range from India to Siberia and South East
Asia.
Habitat: Tigers prefer habitat is forest although they can also be
found in grassland and swamp margins. They require sufficient cover, a good
population of large prey and a constant water supply.
Diet: Their main prey species are large animals such as deer,
buffalo and wild pigs, but they will also hunt fish, monkeys, birds,
reptiles and sometimes even baby elephants. Occasionally, tigers kill
leopards, bears and other tigers.
Reproduction: Females will give birth to 2-4 cubs after a gestation
of 104 days. They will stay with their mother for up to two years before
leaving to stake out their own territories. Males look for territories away
from their birth site, but females may sometimes share their mothers
territories
As with lions, male tigers may kill a female's cubs if the cubs are the
offspring of another male. This ensures that the female will come into
oestrus and bear the new male's offspring. They are active at dawn and dusk.
Conservation status: Tigers are on CITES: Appendix I and are listed
as Endangered by the IUCN. They are illegally poached for their fur and
other body parts, and suffer from habitat loss. The Chinese tiger
(P.t.amoyensis) and the Siberian tiger (P.t.altaica) are under extreme
threat of extinction.
