FAMILY LIFE

Tigers come into heat at any time of the year. During the rut, the female usually walks with one male, but if there are many tigers, one female is followed by two to six males, between whom fierce fights occur, although without fatal consequences: as soon as it becomes clear who is stronger, the weakest leaves the battlefield. During the rut, the roar of tigers is heard more often than usual. At this time, animals are very excited and dangerous to humans. At the same time, they become less careful than usual, and sometimes become easy prey for hunters. N.A. Baykov (1925) notes that during the mating season, a hunter sometimes killed several tigers without leaving the spot.

Pregnancy lasts 3.5 months (according to observations in zoos, 98-112 days). A tigress often has 2-3, less often 1 or 4, very rarely 5-6 cubs. In litters captured in Sikhote-Alin in 1948-1969, 4 tigresses each had one tiger cub; 17 have two; 11 have three, and 3 tigresses have four cubs. Total - 83 tiger cubs in 35 litters (Kucherenko, 1972).

These data give an idea of ​​how many tiger cubs were in the litters at the moment when they fell into the hands of tiger catchers; To imagine how many cubs there were in the litter, this number should be increased. The fact is that tiger cubs often die in the first months of life from a variety of reasons, so it is very likely that a tigress with two cubs gave birth to three, with three - four, etc.

A tigress usually gives birth once every three years; Animals become sexually mature at the age of approximately four (females), five (males) years. Tigers live up to 40-50 years; They molt twice a year: in the Primorsky Territory in September - October and March - April. Outside the rut, adult tigers and single tigresses stay alone; the female walks with the babies until three years. The male does not take part in raising tiger cubs.

Tiger cubs are born blind and helpless, their weight (in Amur tigers) is only 0.8-1 kg. They usually begin to ripen on the 5-10th day. On the 12-15th day they begin to crawl around the den, and on the 20-30th day they begin to leave it. Tiger cubs grow quickly and by the end of the first month of life they weigh 2, and after three months - 10 kg; by two years, these predators reach a weight of 100, and three-year-old males - 150 kg. On the 35-36th day of life, tiger cubs begin to lick meat, at one and a half months of age they already tear off pieces of meat, and at two months of age they eat it. They feed on mother's milk for up to 5-6 months.

“According to our observations,” writes A. A. Sludsky, “tiger cubs are very active and playful. When the young are full, if they are not sleeping, they are always fiddling with each other and flirting with the tigress. Usually one of the cubs, hobbling to the side, clumsily hides and waits for the other to approach him, then he jumps up and begins to grab him by the hind legs or tail. They play the same way with the tigress. Sometimes one tiger cub, having caught up with another, grabs his tail with his teeth and does not let go for a long time, following him. Tiger cubs fight little. The young, playing near the prey, trample large areas and bite twigs from nearby trees and bushes. If there is little prey nearby and the tigress does not return for a long time, the cubs starve and begin to gnaw on rotten meat.”

The tigress does not leave her little cubs alone for long, but as they grow up, she begins to go further and further in search of prey. The mother leaves two-year-old tiger cubs for 10 days, and sometimes for two weeks. The tigress brings prey to one-year-old tiger cubs to the den, teaches two-year-old cubs to go with her, and three-year-olds already participate in the hunt with their mother.

One-year-old tiger cubs are helpless and, having lost their mother, as a rule, die from hunger, cold or the claws of other predators. Two-year-olds are no longer only able to follow their mother, but also, to some extent, independently obtain food. V.P. Sysoev (1967) on the Podkhorenka River observed how two two-year-old tiger cubs independently caught and ate a piglet weighing about 30 kg. However, left without a mother, babies rarely survive, as they are too weak and inexperienced.

Three-year-old tiger cubs can hunt on their own, but if their mother has already left them, they often go hungry, because, lacking sufficient experience and endurance, they have difficulty finding food for themselves. In addition, at this age animals are not careful enough and often fall into the hands of tiger catchers.

At the age of four years, tigers are already full of strength and energy, but, according to S.P. Kucherenko (1972), they lack “judgment.” It is at this age that tigers kill much more animals than they need for food.

“In the fourth year,” writes a remarkable nature connoisseur Far East V.P. Sysoev, - the tiger family breaks up and the female mates again. Tiger catchers sometimes observe two litters walking with a tigress. Tiger cubs of the first litter are, in fact, already adult animals, but still take part in collective hunts.”

The tigress is a caring mother. She teaches tiger cubs the ability to hide, move unnoticed through thickets, distinguish edible from inedible, search for prey and kill it. On the way, the cubs follow their mother, repeating her movements. They walk in single file, stepping exactly in the wake of the tigress, so that it can be very difficult to determine from the tracks how many tigers have passed. The ability to track game, get close to it and kill it is not an innate form of behavior (young tigers do not know how to hide prey at all), but the result of training them in the ways and techniques of hunting. And the role of the mother in this is exceptionally great.

Adult tigers have practically no enemies, not counting the exceptions discussed above. Tiger cubs often die from male tigers, brown bears, and in India, from porcupine quills. Diseases of the lord of the jungle in natural settings have not been studied; in zoos, these predators suffer from all the infectious diseases characteristic of cats: glanders, pasteurellosis, paratyphoid fever, carnivore distemper, toxoascaridiosis, etc. (Geptner, Sludsky, 1972).

When, as a result of snowy winters, mass death ungulates, tigers also begin to starve and sometimes die from starvation. Therefore, the number of tigers depends on many factors: direct persecution by humans, fluctuations in the number of ungulates, and epizootics among predators.

This is how the life of a giant cat goes before meeting a person. And if a meeting takes place, what then?

The tiger is the largest representative of the cat family. The length of its body can reach more than three meters, and its weight can be more than two and a half centners. Tail length is about 90 cm. appearance a tiger resembles a domestic cat, only very large. The tiger has a long and flexible body, a rounded head, relatively short legs and a long tail. Despite its large size, the tiger's movements are light and graceful.

Coloring

The tiger's coloring is unique: there are black transverse stripes on the main orange background. This coloring helps the tiger to remain unnoticed among the tall grass and bushes in which it hides while hunting. In India, in addition to individuals with the usual tiger coloration, there are tigers white with brown stripes and blue eyes.

Spreading.

The tiger's habitat is very wide and includes tropical, subtropical and, to a lesser extent, temperate latitudes Asian continent. The tiger is found in the south and northeast of China, Nepal, Thailand, Burma, Hindustan, Indochina, Afghanistan, the islands of Bali and Java, the Malay and Korean peninsulas, and the Far East.

Varieties.

The habitat of tigers in various natural and climatic conditions determined the diversity of external and behavioral characteristics of individuals of this species of predator. Scientists identify nine subspecies of the tiger, which differ in size, color and some features of their lifestyle and behavior. The Amur subspecies of the tiger is the largest, distinguished by very thick and long hair, which allows it to live in harsh Siberian conditions, and a smaller number of stripes on the body compared to other subspecies. The Bengal tiger is also large in size, darker in color than its northern relative, and lives in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. The Chinese tiger is the smallest subspecies. In addition, small populations of Malayan, Indochinese and Sumatran tiger subspecies have survived to this day. The Javan, Balinese and Transcaucasian subspecies of the tiger have been completely exterminated by humans.

Lifestyle.

The tiger leads a solitary lifestyle. He marks his hunting grounds with peculiar marks, making marks on tree trunks with his claws. The tiger hunts its prey, hiding in dense thickets. Unlike most others wild cats The tiger loves water very much and swims superbly in reservoirs.

Food.

The tiger is a predator that rarely eats carrion, preferring to independently obtain fresh food by hunting various animals. The basis of a tiger's diet is different kinds ungulates The tiger hunts roe deer, deer, wild boar, musk deer and wapiti, and also does not miss any other large and small living creatures, from bear, wolf, monkey to hares, birds, turtles and fish. And even a formidable crocodile often becomes prey for this ferocious predator. The tiger is not averse to eating plant foods; he happily eats berries, fruits, and nuts.

Reproduction.

Tigers reach sexual maturity at the age of four. A tigress's pregnancy lasts about three and a half months. The tigress breeds her offspring in a cave or secluded den. Most often there are from two to four cubs in a brood, less often – up to six. Tiger cubs are born helpless and blind. Only the tigress cares for the offspring. She is a very good mother, constantly takes care of her cubs, feeds and protects them, and teaches them various wisdoms of life. Tiger cubs stay with the tigress for a very long time, until about the age of three, after which they leave their mother and lead a solitary lifestyle.

brief information about tigers

Tiger ( Panthera tigris) - a predator of the class mammals, such as chordates, the order Carnivora, the cat family, the panther genus, the subfamily big cats. It got its name from the ancient Persian word tigri, which means “sharp, fast,” and from the ancient Greek word “arrow.”

The tiger is the largest and heaviest member of the cat family. Some male tigers reach a length of 3 meters and weigh over 300 kg. Tigers are listed in the Red Book, and hunting these animals is prohibited.

Tiger: description and photographs

Tigers are distinguished by a flexible, muscular body and a round head with a convex forehead, expressive eyes and small but sensitive ears. Tigers see perfectly in the dark, and according to scientists, they can distinguish colors. Bengal and Amur tigers are the largest of their species. The size of these tigers can reach 2.5-2.9 meters in length (excluding the tail), and the weight of tigers of this species reaches 275-320 kg. The height of a tiger at the withers is 1.15 m. The average weight of an adult male is 180-250 kg.

According to official data, the record recorded weight of the largest tiger (Bengal) was 388.7 kg.

Moreover, females are usually smaller in size than males.

Elastic white tiger whiskers grow in 4-5 rows, framing the tiger's muzzle. With sharp fangs up to 8 cm long, the tiger easily deals with its prey.

Special keratinized protrusions on the side of the movable tongue help to cut the carcass of a killed animal, and also serve as an auxiliary means of hygiene. Adult mammals have 30 teeth.

There are 5 fingers on the front paws of a tiger, there are only 4 on the hind paws, and retractable claws are located on each finger.

Tiger ears are small and round in shape. The animal's pupil is round, the iris is yellow.

Southern species of tigers have short and dense hair, while their northern counterparts are fluffier.

The color of the animals is predominantly rust with a red or brown tint; the chest and belly are much lighter, and sometimes even white.

The tiger owes its exceptional beauty to the dark brown or completely black stripes located throughout the body. The tiger's stripes have characteristic pointed ends, sometimes bifurcating, then joining again. Typically an animal has more than 100 stripes.

The long tail, covered with rings of stripes, is always black at the end. A tiger's stripes are uniquely positioned, like a human fingerprint, and serve as excellent camouflage for the animal.

The track of a male tiger is longer and more elongated than that of a female. The length of the male tiger's track is 15-16 cm, the width is 13-14 cm. The length of the female tiger's track reaches 14-15 cm, and the width is 11-13 cm.

The roar of a tiger can be heard at a distance of almost 3 kilometers.

Despite their considerable weight, tigers can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h regardless of the surrounding landscape.

The lifespan of an animal in captivity is approximately 15 years.

Who is stronger - a lion or a tiger?

This question worries and interests many. Unfortunately, there are very few recorded facts about battles between a lion and a tiger, so there is no reason to talk about the superiority of one representative of the animal world over another. It is only possible to compare a tiger and a lion according to their external parameters and lifestyle.

• So, as for the weight category, although a little, about 50-70 kg, the tiger is still heavier than the lion.
• In terms of jaw compression force when biting, both animals are in the same positions.
• The principle of killing the chosen victim is also identical - both the tiger and the tiger bite into the neck of their prey, piercing it with powerful fangs.
• But in terms of lifestyle, these two predators are radically different. The tiger is a born solitary hunter who prefers to get food in his own “land”, that is, in a marked territory. Feuds between relatives are almost impossible, since tigers rarely intersect with each other during the hunt. Lions live in pride clans, so males often fight not only for the right to hunt, but also for the “lady of the heart” during mating games. Often such fights end with serious wounds and even the death of one of the lions.
• It is impossible to say with certainty who is more resilient - a lion or his striped brother from the cat family. Both animals run quite quickly, covering considerable distances, but such a criterion as endurance can be justified by the age of these predators, living conditions, or their state of health.

There are facts when trained lions fought with the same circus tigers. Basically, the lion emerged victorious from the battle, but again, this conclusion is subjective, no one kept statistics, so you should not use such information as a 100% statement of superiority.

Both animals, the lion and the tiger, are very strong, powerful and perfectly adapted to natural environment its habitat.

Subspecies of tigers, names, descriptions and photos

The classification identifies 9 subspecies of the tiger, 3 of which, unfortunately, have already disappeared from the face of the earth. Today in nature live:

• Amur (Ussuri) tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica)

The largest and smallest representative of the species, distinguished by thick fur and a relatively small number of stripes. The color of the Amur tiger is orange with a white belly, the fur is thick. The body length of males reaches 2.7 – 3.8 meters. The weight of a male Amur tiger is 180-220 kg. The height of the Amur tiger at the withers is 90-106 cm.

A population of approximately 500 Ussuri tigers inhabits the Amur region of Russia. A number of individuals are found in North Korea and in northeast China. The Amur tiger is listed in the Red Book of Russia.

• Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris, Panthera tigris bengalensis)

Characterized by the largest numbers, representatives have a bright coat color from yellow to light orange. In nature, there are also white Bengal tigers that do not have stripes at all, but they are rather a mutated species. The length of the Bengal tiger reaches 270-310 cm, females are smaller and reach a length of 240-290 cm. The tiger's tail is 85-110 cm long. The height at the withers is 90-110 cm. The weight of the Bengal tiger is from 220 to 320 kg as a maximum.

According to various sources, the population of this tiger species includes from 2.5 to 5 thousand individuals, most of which live in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and South Asia.

White Tiger albino

• Indochinese tiger ( Panthera tigris corbetti)

It is distinguished by a dull red color and numbers a little more than a thousand individuals. The stripes of this species are narrower and shorter. This type of tiger is smaller in size than others. The length of the male is 2.55-2.85 cm, the length of the female is 2.30-2.55 cm. The weight of a male Indochinese tiger reaches 150-195 kg, the weight of a female tiger is 100-130 kg.

The area where Indochinese tigers live is Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and Southern China.

• Malayan tiger ( Panthera tigris jacksoni)

The third largest subspecies in the number of individuals, living in the Malaysian, southern region of the Malay Peninsula.

This is the smallest tiger among all species. The length of a male Malayan tiger is 237 cm, the length of females is up to 200 cm. The weight of a male Malayan tiger is 120 kg, the weight of females does not exceed 100 kg. In total, there are about 600-800 tigers of this species in nature.

• Sumatran tiger ( Panthera tigris sumatrae)

It is also considered the smallest representative of the species. The length of a male tiger is 220-25 cm, the length of females is 215-230 cm. The weight of male tigers is 100-140 kg, the weight of females is 75-110 kg.

About 500 representatives are found in nature reserves on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.

• South China tiger (Chinese tiger) ( Panthera tigris amoyensis)

A small subspecies, no more than 20 of these tigers live in captivity in the south and center of China.

The body length of males and females is 2.2-2.6 meters, the weight of males does not exceed 177 kg, the weight of females reaches 100-118 kg.

Extinct species are Bali tiger, Caspian tiger And Javan tiger.

In addition to white tigers, species with a yellow color are sometimes born; such animals are called golden tigers. The fur of such tigers is lighter and the stripes are brown.

Tiger hybrids

Hybrids, born from crossing the big tabby cat and other representatives of the panther genus, began to appear in captivity as early as the 19th century.

• Liger

A hybrid of a lion and a female tiger, it is huge in size and mature age reaches three meters in length.

• Tigrolev (tigon)

A hybrid of a tiger and a lioness, always smaller than its parents and endowed with the characteristics of both: paternal stripes and maternal spots. Males have a mane, but it is smaller than that of a liger.

Tigers and ligers are born exclusively in zoos. IN wildlife tigers and lions do not interbreed.

Ussuri tigers live in Amur region in Russia, Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories, about 10% of the population is found in North Korea and northeast China. Bengal tigers live in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and South Asia. The area where Indochinese tigers live is Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and Southern China. The Malayan tiger lives in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula. Sumatran tigers are found in nature reserves on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Chinese tigers live in south-central China.

For their habitats, these striped predators choose the most different zones: tropical rainforests, shady jungles, semi-desert regions and savannas, bamboo thickets and steep rocky hills. The tiger is so able to adapt to conditions that it feels great both in hot climates and in the harsh northern taiga. Steep cliffs with numerous niches or secret caves, secluded reed or reed thickets near water bodies are the most favorite territories where the tiger makes his lair, hunts and raises restless and nimble offspring.

Tiger's lifestyle and habits

Possessing quite massive dimensions and enormous strength, tigers feel like absolute masters of the territory in which they live. Leaving his marks with urine everywhere, stripping the bark from trees along the perimeter of his property and loosening the soil with his claws, the male tiger clearly marks his “land”, not allowing other males there.

At the same time, tigers from the same “family” are quite friendly to each other and sometimes behave very funny during communication: they touch their muzzles, rub their striped sides, “snort” noisily and energetically, while exhaling air through their mouths or nose.

In nature, tigers are most often solitary animals, but in zoos with these cats everything looks a little different. After the birth of a pair of offspring, the tiger-father takes care of the babies no less reverently than the tigress-mother: he spends leisure time with them during games, licks them and gently trembles in the form of punishment for the scruff of the neck. Watching the tiger family is really interesting.

In the natural environment, tigers do not limit themselves to the time of day during the hunt - when they are hungry and prey has turned up, then they will make a fatal throw for the victim. By the way, the tiger is an excellent swimmer and will never refuse to eat fish,

The tiger is one of the most beautiful creations of nature. The entire appearance of this magnificent predator radiates calm confidence, enormous physical strength and heavy grace.

The tiger is the largest representative among the 37 species of the cat family. After white and brown bear, he is the largest land predator on the planet. Its weight, depending on the subspecies, ranges from 120-300 kg, and its height is from 1.5 to 3 meters. The tiger is powerful and graceful, despite some heavyness and slowness of movements. Even a lying tiger gives the impression of calm power.

The tiger's movements amaze with speed, agility and smoothness. Despite its massiveness and heaviness, a tiger can reach speeds of up to 60-80 km/h. While pursuing prey, it is capable of making a jump of 4 to 7 meters in length and 2-3 meters in height. Despite its impressive speed, the predator makes its way through the densest thickets absolutely silently.

The tiger is an exclusively Asian species. It appeared about 2 million years ago in northern China. The historical range of this predator is India, China, the countries of Southeast Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, the island of Indonesia and the Russian Far East. The landscape is not a hindrance for tigers. They do well in humid conditions. tropical forests, tropical bamboo thickets, mangrove swamps, bare rocky hills, dry savannas and semi-deserts and northern taiga. In the mountains, tigers can rise to heights of up to 3000 meters.

More recently, about 80 years ago, there were 9 subspecies of tigers, 3 of which (Caspian (or Turanian), Javan, Bali) have already been destroyed by humans. The Bali tiger was deliberately destroyed by people, as it was considered a bearer of the “cultural status of evil.” The Javan tiger became extinct due to excessive habitat loss. There was no room left for him on the small island. And the hunt for the Caspian tiger was so intense that in the end every single individual was shot.

Today there are only 6 subspecies of tigers left:

1. Bengal tiger (Also called Indian tiger).

2. Amur tiger - lives in Russia (Siberian, Ussuri)

3. Indochinese tiger.

4. Sumatran tiger

5. Malayan tiger.

6. South China tiger (They are no longer found in the wild; they remain only in zoos in China, only about 50 individuals).

Bengal tiger

Amur tiger (aka Ussuri, aka Siberian)

Indochinese tigers

Sumatran tiger

Malayan tiger

Chinese tiger

Caspian or Transcaucasian tiger

Javan tiger

Bali tiger

Tigers are known for their distinctive bright, striped colors. Reddish-red fur with black stripes and white markings makes the huge predator invisible in the dense forest. When a tiger runs, the bright colors of its color merge into one brown-gray shade, making it invisible among the jungle or taiga. Not only is a tiger's skin striped, but also its skin. In total, each tiger has more than 100 dark stripes on its body. The pattern of each animal is unique and can be used to identify an individual animal, like a fingerprint on a person.

Sometimes unusual mutations occur in nature, as a result of which individuals with interesting characteristics appear among animals. Thanks to such mutations, beautiful white tigers occasionally appear among tigers. A white tiger in nature is an extremely rare occurrence, 1 individual per 10,000 ordinary animals; after all, such a color will play a cruel joke for its owner, it will become too noticeable in the forest and it will be difficult for him to sneak up on the prey unnoticed. White tigers are specially bred in captivity; they reproduce well and delight zoo visitors with their extraordinary appearance. Bright white fur with black stripes and blue eyes of a predator (in ordinary tigers yellow eyes) amaze the imagination. Today, about 130 white tigers live in zoos around the world. White tigers are not albinos at all, as many people think, because they have melanin, although in smaller quantities than in ordinary tigers. The snow white predator is a color variation of the Bengal tiger, which occasionally exhibits a recessive white gene.

Golden tigers are even rarer than white tigers. This color change also occurs in Bengal tigers, due to a recessive gene. You won't find golden tigers in nature, but there are about 30 of them in zoos around the world.

Tigers live up to 16-18 years (in captivity up to 25 years). Males reach sexual maturity at 4 years, and females at 3 years. Adult males and females stay separate from each other outside the rut. Unlike the female, who sets up a safe and secure den for herself and her cubs, males do not have a permanent den. Tiger cubs sometimes even die from strange male tigers. The father of the family, although he does not take part in raising his offspring, does not pose a danger to the children, but on the contrary, provides them with protection on his territory.

A tigress usually gives birth to 2-3 kittens, 4 is rare, and it is a great happiness if all of them reach sexual maturity. Kittens at birth weigh no more than a kilogram, are blind and helpless. But they grow quickly, and after 2 weeks they begin to crawl out of the den. The tigress is a very caring parent. She feeds the babies with milk for up to 5-6 months, and before they are one year old, she does not leave them for a long time. Tiger cubs live next to their mother until they are 3-4 years old, i.e. before they reach puberty.

Tiger hunting does not depend on the time of day, but still prefers twilight hunting, especially in hot India. Each tiger has its own individual hunting territory, which it jealously guards. The main food of the Amur tiger is wild boar, as well as roe deer, wapiti, elk, musk deer, sika deer, Manchurian hare, as well as wolves, lynx and even brown and white-breasted bears. Sometimes the Amur tiger can catch fish and turtles, eat berries, fruits and pine nuts. And only during times of severe hunger will the tiger begin to eat carrion.

In India, among other things, a tiger can hunt monkeys, peacocks, and even porcupines, however, attacks on the latter end extremely badly for the tiger - it remains crippled. During floods in India, a tiger can catch not only fish, but also crocodiles. Tigers also dare to attack baby rhinoceroses, wild buffalos and elephants, risking encountering angry parents.

To be satisfied, an adult tiger needs 10-50 kg of meat. In one meal, this predator can eat a huge amount of food, but if necessary, it can starve for weeks without any signs of weakness.

The tiger, like all cats, is very clean. After a meal, the animal carefully licks its fur and cleans its claws, scratching the bark of trees with them. The tiger is one of the few cats who loves to swim in water and roll in the snow in winter. In particularly hot weather, striped predators can bask in the water for hours, escaping the heat. But, unlike leopards, panthers and other cats, he does not like to climb trees, although he knows how to do it very well.

Contrary to deeply rooted beliefs, the tiger is a good-natured animal rather than an aggressive one. When a tiger meets an unarmed person, the tiger does not attack first, but tries to leave, unless, of course, he is wounded. There is a known curious case that occurred on the Syrdarya in the 70s. XIX century. The hunter shot at the tiger from his horse, but missed. The tiger rushed at the man, threw him off the horse to the ground, pinned him with his paws, stood there for a while and left without touching the offender. In addition to this case, many others are known when people approached a tiger (or, conversely), at a fairly close distance, and the predator simply took it and left, not paying attention to people numb with horror.

The tiger is a very curious cat. He can often follow a person, which gives the impression of being chased, but this is not the case. Some biologists are of the opinion that the tiger follows human tracks to the borders of its territory, after which the pursuit stops. A healthy animal is not afraid of people and does not touch them. A tiger can attack a person if it is wounded, if there are tiger cubs nearby, if a person takes the tiger’s prey, if the tiger is chased for a long time without allowing it to rest and eat. All these cases were provoked by man himself; otherwise, most likely, the majestic tiger simply will not pay attention to people.

An interesting and unsolved fact is the relationship between a tiger and a dog. For unknown reasons, the tiger hates dogs to the core, and always attacks her as soon as he sees her. To grab a dog, a tiger often risks its life, throwing itself under the bullets of hunters. Even if the tiger is full, he rushes at the dog. By the way, such strange relationships in nature are not isolated; it is known that wolves experience the same incomprehensible hostility towards foxes.

The majestic tiger once roamed freely across vast territories, but now he has practically no places left where he could hide. Predators like tigers need large areas in which to hunt. Economic activity Humans and poaching have led to the fact that the number of tigers worldwide has decreased by 95% compared to the 19th century! Now in nature the total approximate number of these animals is estimated at 4000-6500 individuals. This means that the species is on the verge of extinction. Only international conservation measures help tigers survive in the wild.

Photo by M. Nichols. The photographer tried to take this picture for several months.

Rare Sumatran tiger

How many tiger cubs are born on average per year? What measures are taken to protect tigers in the wild? and got the best answer

Reply from *@ Ekaterina @ *[guru]
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The tiger's body length is, as a rule, 160-290 cm (sometimes over 3 meters), tail 1.1 m, weight up to 270 kg. The head is round, the body is elongated, flexible, the legs are short, the tail is evenly pubescent. The cross-striped coloration of the tiger is extremely characteristic, the pattern of which varies significantly in different geographical areas and serves as the basis for identifying subspecies. There are 7 subspecies, in Western and Southeast Asia, Hindustan, China, the Malay Peninsula, Java, Bali. The largest tigers are Amur tigers, the smallest are Sunda tigers, those that used to live on the island of Bali and now live on Sumatra. In Russia, the tiger is found in Primorye. Until the 30s of the 20th century, the tiger was found in Transcaucasia, and until the 50s - in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya and Southern Tajikistan. Preserved mainly in nature reserves.
On average, a female brings 2-4 tiger cubs, less often 5-6. Tiger cubs are born blind and weigh about 1 kilogram. They feed on their mother's milk for 1.5 to 2 months before the female begins to feed them meat. Young tigers begin to hunt independently at 1.5 years of age.
The female makes a den for her cubs in hard-to-reach, and therefore safest places: dense thickets, caves, rock crevices. Adult males, as a rule, do not have a permanent den and usually rest close to their prey.
Young females leave their mother's territory at the age of 1.5 to 3 years, depending on whether the female has a new litter or not. Tigresses are more likely to stay close to their mother's territory than tigers. In the wild, a complete change of generations occurs in 15-20 years, if not in a shorter period
Many tiger cubs die in the first months of their life, especially since the tigress is forced to leave for hunting. She lives with young tigers for 2-3 years until they become independent (at the age of four they reach sexual maturity). From the above it follows that the fertility of tigers is very limited. It is believed that a female gives birth to 10 - 20 tiger cubs in her entire life, and of those, hardly half survive.
A tiger can live up to 40-50 years, but actually dies much earlier. Currently, it is becoming more and more obvious that the utmost care must be taken towards such a wonderful animal as the tiger in order to ensure its safety for the future. In a number of countries, hunting it is completely prohibited.
Zoos not only successfully breed these animals, but also resettle them...