Tiger (Panthera tigris)

Javan tiger, photographed in 1938

Tigers are exceptionally large, as cats go. The largest tigers may weigh up to 660 pounds, and have very big teeth indeed – their canines can be up to 4” long.

The picture here is of an extinct subspecies that we had not heard of before – all wild tigers are exceptionally endangered.

But tigers are also exceptionally fierce, and apparently can carry grudges and take revenge – at least according to the brilliant reporting of John Vaillant in his book ‘The Tiger’, which you should read if you are at all interested in tigers.  Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), also called Amur Tigers, are the largest subspecies, and the subjects of this book.

A researcher for the Wildlife Conservation Society radio-collars Zhenya, a young male

Tigers of all types have been known to actively stalk humans – my mom once told me that there were only three species of animals who would do that – the Tiger, the Komodo Dragon and the Polar Bear.  I don’t know whether this is actually true or not, but it’s clear that Tigers are willing to attack humans if needed.   In the Sundarbans in India, it is reported that tigers are responsible for 150-200 attacks on humans per year.

Happily, there are exceptional humans who are trying to help maintain wild populations of Siberian tigers – such as the Wildlife Conservation Society of Russia, who radio-collar and follow wild Siberian tigers, among other important activities.

The video below includes two wild Amur tigers, which is a very rare sight indeed. The program, Wild Russia, is excellent – but gives little information about the reasons for the pressure from humans on these tigers. Vaillant’s book gives a much fuller picture – humans living in Amur tiger range are living on the edge too, and poaching becomes one of a very few ways to survive. If we want to save these beautiful animals, we need to work to help humans, too.

~ by amyfou on March 17, 2011.