Tigers

Tigers One of my most favorite things to do when going to the zoo is to see the big cats, most especially the tigers. The tiger is the largest of all big cats, and as of right now they are on the verge of extinction. The tiger is the top of the food chain in its natural habitat. They are a revered animal among many cultures and are considered to be one of the most beautiful animals on the planet. Due to poaching, illegal trade and the encroach­ment of their habitats, the tiger is now one of the most threatened species on earth and on the verge of extinction. There are six subspecies of tiger today and all are on the endangered species list: the Amur better known as the Siberian, the familiar Bengal, the Indochinese, Malayan, South China, and Sumatran. Sadly, the Bali, Ja­van, and Caspian subspecies have all gone extinct in the last 70 years (WWF). Wild tigers today can only be found in the countries of: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Far East in Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam (WWF). Unfortunately not all of these subspecies can be found in the wild any­more, to put it bluntly there are about 47 South China tigers and they are all living in zoos in China (WWF). Tigers aside from being the largest and one of the most of beautiful of all big cats are also quite fascinating. They can grow up to 118 inches in length including the tail and weigh anywhere from 310 to 660 pounds de­pending on the species (WWF). The tiger is a mostly solitary animal and lone hunter and will stalk its prey for a long time before attacking (WWF). They can consume up to 88 pounds of meat at one time. They will display sociable behavior and adults may even share a kill which is rare for a predator animal especially since they are such solitary animals (WWF). Sadly, one of the points that they are solitary and that they need such large parts of habitat to be wild and survive is one of the facts that make their extinction seem

Cited: Chanthavy Vongkhamheng, et al. “Bringing the Tiger Back from the Brink–The Six Percent Solution.” PLoS Biology 8.9 (2010): 1-4. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 7 Apr. 2011. Seinensticker, John. :Saving Wild Tigers: A Case Study in Biodiversity Loss and Challenges to be Met for Recovery Beyond 2010.” Integrative Zo­ology 5.4 (2010): 285-299. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 7 Apr. 2011