Tiger: Difference between revisions

: ''[[Panthera tigris tigris|P. t. tigris]]''

: ''[[Sunda Island tiger|P. t. sondaica]]''

: {{extinct}}''[[Panthera tigris acutidens|P. t. acutidens]]''

: {{extinct}}''[[Panthera tigris soloensis|P. t. soloensis]]''

: {{extinct}}''[[Panthera tigris trinilensis|P. t. trinilensis]]''

The '''tiger''' ('''''Panthera tigris''''') is the largest living [[Felidae|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 [[ungulate]]s, 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.

[[File:Tiger phylogenetic relationships.png|thumb|Phylogenetic relationship of tiger populations based on Driscoll et al. (2009).<ref name="Driscoll2009" />]]

The tiger's full [[genome]] sequence was published in 2013. It was found to have similar repeat composition to other cat genomes and an appreciably conserved [[synteny]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=The tiger genome and comparative analysis with lion and snow leopard genomes |doi=10.1038/ncomms3433 |pmid=24045858 |pmc=3778509 |journal=Nature Communications |volume=4 |page=2433 |year=2013 |last1=Cho |first1=Y. S. |last2=Hu |first2=L. |last3=Hou |first3=H. |last4=Lee |first4=H. |last5=Xu |first5=J. |last6=Kwon |first6=S. |last7=Oh |first7=S. |last8=Kim |first8=H. M. |last9=Jho |first9=S. |last10=Kim |first10=S. |last11=Shin |first11=Y. A. |last12=Kim |first12=B. C. |last13=Kim |first13=H. |last14=Kim |first14=C. U. |last15=Luo | first15=S. J. |last16=Johnson |first16=W. E. |last17=Koepfli |first17=K. P. |last18=Schmidt-Küntzel |first18=A. |last19=Turner |first19=J. A. |last20=Marker |first20=L. |last21=Harper |first21=C. |last22=Miller |first22=S. M. |last23=Jacobs |first23=W. |last24=Bertola |first24=L. D. |last25=Kim |first25=T. H. |last26=Lee |first26=S. |last27=Zhou |first27=Q. |last28=Jung |first28=H. J. |last29=Xu |first29=X. |last30=Gadhvi |first30=P. |name-list-style=amp |bibcode=2013NatCo...4.2433C |hdl=2263/32583}}</ref>

Captive tigers were bred with lions to create [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrids]] called liger and tigon. They share physical and behavioural qualities of both parent species. Breeding hybrids is now discouraged due to the emphasis on conservation.<ref name="natgeo">{{cite web|author=Actman, Jani|date= 24 February 2017|title=Cat Experts: Ligers and Other Designer Hybrids Pointless and Unethical|website=National Geographic.com|access-date=27 August 2018 |url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/wildlife-watch-liger-tigon-big-cat-hybrid/}}</ref> The liger is a cross between a male lion and a tigress. Ligers are typically between {{cvt|10|and|12|ft|m}} in length, and weigh between {{cvt|800|and|1000|lb|kg}} or more.<ref name="liger">{{cite book |last=Markel |first=S. |author2=León, D. |year=2003 |title=Sequence Analysis in a Nutshell: a guide to common tools and databases |publisher=O'Reily |location=Sebastopol, California |isbn=978-0-596-00494-1 |url=http://ommolketab.ir/aaf-lib/d5qzewcba1wb4sk6u293rv2y15u9oa.pdf |access-date=26 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827005316/http://ommolketab.ir/aaf-lib/d5qzewcba1wb4sk6u293rv2y15u9oa.pdf |archive-date=27 August 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Because the lion sire passes on a growth-promoting gene, but the corresponding growth-inhibiting gene from the female tiger is absent, ligers grow far larger than either parent species.<ref name="imprinting">{{cite web |title=Genomic Imprinting |publisher=Genetic Science Learning Center, Utah.org|access-date=26 August 2018 |url=https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/imprinting/}}</ref>

{{multiple image |perrow=1 | image1=Siberian Tiger by Malene Th.jpg |caption1=Siberian tiger in [[Aalborg Zoo]], Denmark |image2=Bengal Tiger Skeleton.jpg |caption2=Bengal tiger skeleton on display at the [[Museum of Osteology]]}}

[[File:Haifa White Tigers-9129-13.jpg|thumb|White tigers in Haifa Zoo]]

There are also records of pseudo-[[melanic]] or [[black tiger]]s which have thick stripes that merge. In [[Simlipal National Park]], 37% of the tiger population has this condition, which has been linked to isolation and inbreeding.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Sagar, Vinay|display-authors=etal|year=2021|title=High frequency of an otherwise rare phenotype in a small and isolated tiger population|journal=PNAS|volume=118|issue=39|page=e2025273118|doi=10.1073/pnas.2025273118|pmid=34518374 |pmc=8488692 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11825273S }}</ref>

The tiger historically ranged from eastern [[Turkey]] and [[Transcaucasia]] to the coast of the [[Sea of Japan]], and from South Asia across Southeast Asia to the Indonesian islands of [[Sumatra]], [[Java]] and [[Bali]].<ref name=Guggisberg1975/> Since the end of the [[last glacial period]], it was probably restricted by periods of deep snow lasting longer than six months.<ref name=Seidensticker1986>{{cite book |author=Seidensticker, J. |year=1986 |chapter=Large Carnivores and the Consequences of Habitat Insularization: ecology and conservation of Tigers in Indonesia and Bangladesh |pages=1–41 |title=Cats of the world: biology, conservation and management |editor1-last=Miller |editor1-first=S. D. |editor2-last=Everett |editor2-first=D. D. |publisher=National Wildlife Federation |location=Washington DC |chapter-url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/8206/71440cc3-e3f8-487f-981f-2c9a3309783e.pdf}}</ref><ref name=Miquelle_al1999>{{cite book |author1=Miquelle, D. G. |author2=Smirnov, E. N. |author3=Merrill, T. W. |author4=Myslenkov, A. E. |author5=Quigley, H. |author6=Hornocker, M. G. |author7=Schleyer, B. |year=1999 |chapter=Hierarchical spatial analysis of Amur tiger relationships to habitat and prey |title=Riding the Tiger. Tiger Conservation in Human-dominated Landscapes |editor1-last=Seidensticker |editor1-first=J. |editor2-last=Christie |editor2-first=S. |editor3-last=Jackson |editor3-first=P. |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=London |chapter-url=http://www.panthera.org/node/342 |pages=71–99 |isbn=978-0521648356}}</ref> Currently, it occurs in less than 6% of its historical range, as it has been extirpated from [[Southwest Asia|Southwest]] and Central Asia, large parts of Southeast and East Asia. It now mainly occurs in the [[Indian subcontinent]], the [[Indochinese Peninsula]], Sumatra and the [[Russian Far East]]. In China and Myanmar, breeding populations appear to rely on immigration from neighbouring countries while its status in the [[Korean Peninsula]] is unknown.<ref name=iucn/><ref>{{cite book |title=Setting Priorities for the Conservation and Recovery of Wild Tigers: 2005–2015: The Technical Assessment |author1=Sanderson, E. |author2=Forrest, J. |author3=Loucks, C. |author4=Ginsberg, J. |author5=Dinerstein, E. |author6=Seidensticker, J. |author7=Leimgruber, P. |author8=Songer, M. |author9=Heydlauff, A. |author10=O'Brien, T. |author11=Bryja, G. |author12=Klenzendorf, S. |author13=Wikramanayake, E. |date=2006 |url=http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/tigers/WWFBinaryitem9363.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118151415/http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/tigers/WWFBinaryitem9363.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 January 2012 |location=New York – Washington DC |publisher=WCS, WWF, Smithsonian, and NFWF-STF |access-date=7 August 2019}}</ref>

The tiger is essentially associated with forest habitats.<ref name=Kitchener2009/><ref name=Sunquist2010>{{cite book |author=Sunquist, M. |chapter=What is a Tiger? Ecology and Behaviour |year=2010 |title=Tigers of the World: The Science, Politics and Conservation of ''Panthera tigris'' |editor=R. Tilson |editor2=P. J. Nyhus |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |location=London, Burlington |isbn=978-0-08-094751-8 |page=19−34 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XFIbjBEQolMC&pg=PA23}}</ref> Tiger populations thrive where populations of wild [[cervid]]s, [[bovid]]s and [[Suidae|suid]]s are stable.<ref name=Karanth_al1999>{{cite book |author1=Karanth, K. U. |author2=Sunquist, M. E. |author3=Chinnappa, K. M. |year=1999 |chapter=Long-term monitoring of tigers: lessons from Nagarahole |title=Riding the Tiger. Tiger Conservation in Human-dominated Landscapes |editor1-last=Seidensticker |editor1-first=J. |editor2-last=Christie |editor2-first=S. |editor3-last=Jackson |editor3-first=P. |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=London |pages=114–122 |isbn=978-0521648356}}</ref> Records in Central Asia indicate that it occurred foremost in [[Tugay]] riverine forests along the [[Atrek]], [[Amu Darya]], [[Syr Darya]], [[Hari (Afghanistan)|Hari]], [[Chu River|Chu]] and [[Ili River]]s and their tributaries. In the Caucasus, it inhabited hilly and lowland forests.<ref name=Geptner1972/> Historical records in [[Iran]] are known only from the southern coast of the [[Caspian Sea]] and adjacent [[Alborz Mountains]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Faizolahi |first1=K. |year=2016 |title=Tiger in Iran – historical distribution, extinction causes and feasibility of reintroduction |journal= Cat News |issue=Special Issue 10 |pages=5–13}}</ref> In the [[Amur River|Amur]]-[[Ussuri River|Ussuri]] region, it inhabits [[Korean pine]] and [[temperate broadleaf and mixed forest]]s, where [[riparian forest]]s provide food and water, and serve as dispersal corridors for both tiger and ungulates.<ref name=Miquelle_al1999/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kerley |first1=L. L. |last2=Goodrich |first2=J. M. |last3=Miquelle |first3=D. G. |last4=Smirnov |first4=E. N. |last5=Quigley |first5=H. G. |last6=Hornocker |first6=M. G. |year=2003 |title=Reproductive parameters of wild female Amur (Siberian) tigers (''Panthera tigris altaica'') |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=84 |issue=1 |pages=288–298 |jstor=1383657 |doi=10.1644/1545-1542(2003)084<0288:RPOWFA>2.0.CO;2|doi-access=free }}</ref> On the Indian subcontinent, it inhabits mainly [[tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]], moist [[evergreen forest]]s, [[tropical dry forest]]s and the [[swamp forest]]s of the [[Sundarbans]].<ref name=Wikramanayake_al1999/> In the [[Eastern Himalaya]]s, tigers were documented in [[temperate forest]] up to an elevation of {{cvt|4200|m}} in Bhutan and of {{cvt|3630|m}} in the [[Mishmi Hills]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Jigme, K. |author2=Tharchen, L. |name-list-style=amp |year=2012 |title=Camera-trap records of tigers at high altitudes in Bhutan |journal=Cat News |issue=56 |pages=14–15}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Adhikarimayum, A. S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Gopi, G. V. |year=2018 |title=First photographic record of tiger presence at higher elevations of the Mishmi Hills in the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot, Arunachal Pradesh, India |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=10 |issue=13 |pages=12833–12836 |doi=10.11609/jott.4381.10.13.12833-12836 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In Myanmar, tigers are distributed across the country and among every province. The country is home to two tiger populations, Bengal and Indochinese tigers. In 1996, the composition of the two populations was 60% Bengal tigers and 40% Indochinese tigers. The natural ecological divide for these two populations is assumed to be the [[Irrawaddy River]], but there is no scientific evidence for that hypothesis. DNA studies are needed to confirm it.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zaw Htun |first1=Naing |date=2004 |title=Current status and threats to the survival of wild tigers in Myanmar |url=https://www.cabi.org/gara/mobile/abstract/20153021712 |journal=Journal of Agricultural, Forestry, Livestock and Fishery Sciences |volume= |issue= |pages=62–72 |doi= |access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref> Today, the presence of tigers was confirmed in the [[Hukawng Valley]], [[Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary]], and in two small areas in the [[Tanintharyi Region]]. The [[Tenasserim Hills]] is an important area, but forests are harvested there.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Lynam, A. J. |author2=Saw Tun Khaing |author3=Khin Maung Zaw |name-list-style=amp |year=2006 |title=Developing a national tiger action plan for the Union of Myanmar |journal=Environmental Management |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=30–39 |doi=10.1007/s00267-004-0273-9 |pmid=16362487 |bibcode=2006EnMan..37...30L |s2cid=20467948}}</ref> In 2015, tigers were recorded by camera traps for the first time in the hill forests of [[Kayin State]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Saw Sha Bwe Moo |author2=Froese, G. Z. L. |author3=Gray, T. N. E. |name-list-style=amp |year=2017 |title=First structured camera-trap surveys in Karen State, Myanmar, reveal high diversity of globally threatened mammals |journal=Oryx |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=537–543 |doi=10.1017/S0030605316001113 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In Thailand, it lives in deciduous and evergreen forests.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Simcharoen, S. |author2=Pattanavibool, A. |author3=Karanth, K. U. |author4=Nichols, J. D. |author5=Kumar, N. S. |name-list-style=amp |year=2007 |title=How many tigers ''Panthera tigris'' are there in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand? An estimate using photographic capture-recapture sampling |journal=Oryx |volume=41 |issue=4 |pages=447–453 |doi=10.1017/S0030605307414107|doi-access=free}}</ref> In Laos, 14 tigers were documented in semi-evergreen and evergreen forest interspersed with grassland in [[Nam Et-Phou Louey]] National Protected Area during surveys from 2013 to 2017.<ref name=Rasphone_al2019>{{cite journal |author1=Rasphone, A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Kéry, M. |author3=Kamler, J.F. |author4=Macdonald, D.W. |year=2019 |title=Documenting the demise of tiger and leopard, and the status of other carnivores and prey, in Lao PDR's most prized protected area: Nam Et-Phou Louey |journal=Global Ecology and Conservation |volume=20 |pages=e00766 |doi=10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00766|doi-access=free}}</ref> In Sumatra, tiger populations range from lowland [[peat swamp forest]]s to rugged montane forests.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Wibisono, H. T. |author2=Linkie, M. |author3=Guillera-Arroita, G. |author4=Smith, J. A. |author5=Sunarto |author6=Pusarini, W. |author7=Asriadi |author8=Baroto, P. |author9=Brickle, N. |author10=Dinata, Y. |author11=Gemita, E. |author12=Gunaryadi, D. |author13=Haidir, I. A. |author14=Herwansyah |year=2011 |title=Population Status of a Cryptic Top Predator: An Island-Wide Assessment of Tigers in Sumatran Rainforests |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=6 |issue=11 |page=e25931 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0025931 |pmid=22087218 |pmc=3206793 |bibcode=2011PLoSO...625931W|doi-access=free}}</ref>

{{multiple image |perrow=1 |image1=Tigerwater edit2.jpg |caption1=Tigers are comfortable in water and frequently bathe |image2=JenB Marking Territory.JPG |caption2=Tiger scent marking its territory}}

To identify his territory, the male marks trees by [[urine spraying|spraying urine]],<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Burger|first1=B. V.|last2=Viviers|first2=M. Z.|last3=Bekker|first3=J. P. I.|last4=Roux|first4=M.|last5=Fish|first5=N.|last6=Fourie|first6=W. B.|last7=Weibchen|first7=G.|year=2008|title=Chemical Characterization of Territorial Marking Fluid of Male Bengal Tiger, ''Panthera tigris''|url=http://scholar.sun.ac.za/bitstream/10019.1/11220/2/burger_chemical_2008.pdf|journal=Journal of Chemical Ecology|volume=34|issue=5|pages=659–671|doi=10.1007/s10886-008-9462-y|pmid=18437496|hdl-access=free|hdl=10019.1/11220|s2cid=5558760}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Smith|first1=J. L. David|last2=McDougal|first2=C.|last3=Miquelle|first3=D.|year=1989|title=Scent marking in free-ranging tigers, ''Panthera tigris''|url=|journal=Animal Behaviour|volume=37|pages=1–10|doi=10.1016/0003-3472(89)90001-8|s2cid=53149100}}</ref> [[anal gland]] secretions, marking trails with [[feces]] and marking trees or the ground with their claws. Females also use these "scrapes", urine and fecal markings. Scent markings of this type allow an individual to pick up information on another's identity, sex and reproductive status. Females in [[oestrus]] will signal their availability by scent marking more frequently and increasing their vocalisations.<ref name="Miquelle" />

Tigers [[Roar (vocalization)|roar]] to signal their presence to other individuals over long distances. This vocalization is forced through an open mouth as it closes and can be heard {{cvt|3|km}} away. They may roar three or four times in a row, and other tigers may respond in kind. When tense, tigers will moan, a sound similar to a roar but softer and made when the mouth is at least partially closed. Moaning can be heard {{cvt|400|m}} away.<ref name="Mazak1981" /><ref name=schaller1967/> For aggressive encounters, tigers [[Growling|growl]], [[snarl]] and hiss.<ref name=schaller1967/> During an attack, an explosive "coughing roar" or "coughing snarl" is emitted though an open mouth and exposed teeth.<ref name="Mazak1981" /><ref name=schaller1967/><ref name="WCW">{{Cite book |last1=Sunquist |first1=M. E. |year=2002 |last2=Sunquist |first2=F. |name-list-style=amp |title=Wild Cats of the World |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |isbn=978-0-226-77999-7 |chapter=Tiger ''Panthera tigris'' |page=356 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IF8nDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA320}}</ref> [[Prusten|Chuffing]]—soft, low-frequency snorting similar to [[purring]] in smaller cats—is heard in more friendly situations.<ref>{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1023/A:1020620121416| year = 1999| last1 = Peters | first1 = G. |last2 = Tonkin-Leyhausen | first2 = B. A. |title = Evolution of Acoustic Communication Signals of Mammals: Friendly Close-Range Vocalizations in Felidae (Carnivora)| journal = Journal of Mammalian Evolution| volume = 6| issue = 2| pages=129–159| s2cid = 25252052}}</ref> Other vocalizations include grunts, woofs and miaows.<ref name="Mazak1981" />

{{multiple image |perrow=1 |image1=Panthera tigris -Franklin Park Zoo, Massachusetts, USA-8a (1).jpg |caption1=An adult tiger showing incisors, canines and part of the premolars and molars |image2=037tiger.jpg |caption2=Dentition of tiger above, and of [[Asian black bear]] below. The large canines are used for killing, and the carnassials for tearing flesh}}

In the wild, tigers mostly feed on large and medium-sized mammals, particularly [[ungulate]]s weighing {{cvt|60|–|250|kg}}. Range-wide, the most selected prey are <!--Please do not add any more species to this sentence, Hayward (2012) states "We found that wild boar and sambar deer are significantly preferred by tigers, with red deer [wapiti] and barasingha likely to be significantly preferred also with a larger sample size."--> [[sambar deer]], [[Manchurian wapiti]], [[barasingha]] and wild boar. Tigers are capable of taking down larger prey like adult [[gaur]] and [[wild water buffalo]],<ref name="Hayward">{{cite journal|last1=Hayward|first1=M. W.|last2=Jędrzejewski|first2=W.|last3=Jędrzejewska|first3=B.|year=2012|title=Prey preferences of the tiger ''Panthera tigris''|journal=Journal of Zoology|volume=286|issue=3|pages=221–231|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00871.x}}</ref> but will also opportunistically eat much smaller prey, such as [[monkey]]s, [[peafowl]] and other ground-based birds, [[hare]]s, [[porcupine]]s, and fish.<ref name="Miquelle" /> They also prey on other predators, including [[dog]]s, leopards, [[bear]]s, [[snake]]s and [[crocodile]]s.<ref name="Perry" /> Tigers generally do not prey on fully grown adult [[Asian elephant]]s and [[Indian rhinoceros]] but incidents have been reported.<ref>{{cite news |year=2008 |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080313/jsp/northeast/story_9012303.jsp |title=Trouble for rhino from poacher and Bengal tiger |work=The Telegraph |access-date=3 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927093927/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080313/jsp/northeast/story_9012303.jsp |archive-date=27 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|year=2009|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article103095.ece |title=Tiger kills elephant at Eravikulam park | work= The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/tiger-kills-adult-rhino-in-dudhwa-tiger-reserve/article4357638.ece|title=Tiger kills adult rhino in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve|date=29 January 2013|via=www.thehindu.com|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref> More often, it is the more vulnerable small calves that are taken.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Karanth, K. U.|author2=Nichols, J. D.|name-list-style=amp|year=1998 |title=Estimation of tiger densities in India using photographic captures and recaptures |journal=Ecology |volume=79 |issue=8 |pages=2852–2862 |doi=10.1890/0012-9658(1998)079[2852:EOTDII]2.0.CO;2 |jstor=176521 |url=http://erepo.usiu.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11732/758/Estimation%20of%20tiger%20densities%20in%20India%20using%20photographic%20captures%20and%20recaptures.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y}}</ref> When in close proximity to humans, tigers will also sometimes prey on such domestic livestock as cattle, horses, and donkeys. Although almost exclusively carnivorous, tigers will occasionally eat vegetation for [[dietary fibre]] such as fruit of the [[Careya arborea|slow match tree]].<ref name="Perry">{{cite book | author=Perry, R. | title=The World of the Tiger | year=1965| page=260}}</ref>

Tigers are thought to be mainly [[nocturnal]] predators,<ref name=Sunquist2010/> but in areas where humans are absent, remote-controlled, hidden [[camera trap]]s recorded them hunting in daylight.<ref>BBC (2008). [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009smrg ''Tiger: Spy In The Jungle'']. John Downer Productions</ref> They generally hunt alone and ambush their prey as most other cats do, overpowering them from any angle, using their body size and strength to knock the prey off balance. Successful hunts usually require the tiger to almost simultaneously leap onto its quarry, knock it over, and grab the throat or nape with its teeth.<ref name = Walker /> Despite their large size, tigers can reach speeds of about {{cvt|49|-|65|km/h}} but only in short bursts; consequently, tigers must be close to their prey before they break cover. If the prey senses the tiger's presence before this, the tiger usually abandons the hunt rather than give chase or battle pre-alerted prey. Horizontal leaps of up to {{cvt|10|m}} have been reported, although leaps of around half this distance are more typical. One in 2 to 20 hunts, including stalking near potential prey, ends in a successful kill.<ref name = Walker /><ref name=Sunquist2010/>

{{multiple image |perrow=1 |image1=Amitava banerjee tiger wild boar tadoba.jpg |caption1=Bengal tiger subduing an [[Indian boar]] at [[Tadoba National Park]]

| image2=RANTHAMBORE TIGER RESERVE.jpg |caption2=Bengal tiger attacking a [[Sambar deer|sambar]] in [[Ranthambore Tiger Reserve]]}}

With small prey such as monkeys and hares, the tiger bites the [[nape]], often breaking the [[spinal cord]], piercing the [[vertebrate trachea|windpipe]], or severing the [[jugular vein]] or [[common carotid artery]].<ref>[[#Sankhala|Sankhala]], p. 23</ref> Rarely, tigers have been observed to kill prey by swiping with their paws, which are powerful enough to smash the skulls of domestic cattle,<ref name="Perry" /> and break the backs of [[sloth bear]]s.<ref name=Mills168>{{cite book |author=Mills, S. |title=Tiger |year=2004 |page=168 |isbn=978-1-55297-949-5 |publisher=Firefly Books |location=Richmond Hill, Ontario}}</ref>

After killing their prey, tigers sometimes drag it to conceal it in vegetation, grasping with their mouths at the site of the killing bite. This, too, can require great physical strength. In one case, after it had killed an adult gaur, a tiger was observed to drag the massive carcass over a distance of {{cvt|12|m}}. When 13 men simultaneously tried to drag the same carcass later, they were unable to move it.<ref name = Walker /> An adult tiger can go for up to two weeks without eating, then gorge on {{cvt|34|kg}} of flesh at one time. In captivity, adult tigers are fed {{cvt|3|to|6|kg}} of meat a day.<ref name = Walker />

[[File:Tigerdholes.jpg|thumb|''Tiger hunted by wild dogs'', Illustration in ''Samuel Howett & Edward Orme, Hand Coloured, Aquatint Engravings'', 1807]]

{{multiple image |perrow=1 |image1=Tigeress with cubs in Kanha Tiger reserve.jpg |caption1=Tiger family in Kanha Tiger Reserve |image2=Tigers_of_Tadoba.jpg |caption2=Tiger family in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve}}

| {{flagicon|India}} India || 2020 || align="right" |2,967<ref>{{Cite news |others=Special Correspondent |date=2020-07-28 |title=At 2,967 tigers, India's capacity at peak |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indias-tiger-count-unchanged-at-2367/article32211788.ece |access-date=2022-07-31 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

| {{flagicon|Laos}} Laos || 2016 || align="right" |14<ref name="Rasphone_al2019" />

India is home to the world's largest population of wild tigers.<ref name=GTF/> A 2014 census estimated a population of 2,226, a 30% increase since 2011.<ref name="Burke">{{cite news|title=India's tiger population increases by almost a third|newspaper=The Guardian|author=Burke, Jason|date=20 January 2015|access-date=3 May 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/20/india-tiger-population-increases-endangered-species}}</ref> On [[International Tiger Day]] 2019, the 'Tiger Estimation Report 2018' was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The report estimates a population of 2967 tigers in India with 25% increase since 2014. Modi said "India is one of the safest habitats for tigers as it has achieved the target of doubling the tiger population from 1411 in 2011 to 2967 in 2019".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/international-tiger-day-2019-pm-modi-releases-report-india-counts-2967-tigers-1564375425-1 |title=International Tiger Day 2019: PM Modi Releases Report, India counts 2967 Tigers|date=2019 |work=Jagran Josh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729094059/https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/international-tiger-day-2019-pm-modi-releases-report-india-counts-2967-tigers-1564375425-1|archive-date=29 July 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> As of 2022, India accounts for 75 percent of global tiger population.<ref>{{cite web |title=India almost doubled its tiger population, says Minister on International Tiger Day |url=https://newsonair.com/2022/07/29/india-almost-doubled-its-tiger-population-says-minister-on-international-tiger-day/ |website=News on AIR |access-date=3 August 2022}}</ref>

In 1973, India's ''[[Project Tiger]]'', started by [[Indira Gandhi]], established numerous tiger reserves. The project was credited with tripling the number of wild Bengal tigers from some 1,200 in 1973 to over 3,500 in the 1990s, but a 2007 census showed that numbers had dropped back to about 1,400 tigers because of poaching.<ref name="Over half of tigers lost in 5 years: census">{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/13/stories/2008021357240100.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220074725/http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/13/stories/2008021357240100.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=20 February 2008 | title=Front Page : Over half of tigers lost in 5 years: census | date=13 February 2008 | newspaper=[[The Hindu]] | access-date=10 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Foster, P. |date=2007|title=Why the tiger's future is far from bright |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=19 September 2018|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3642330/Why-the-tigers-future-is-far-from-bright.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3642330/Why-the-tigers-future-is-far-from-bright.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tiger Reserves|publisher=ENVIS Centre on Wildlife & Protected Areas|access-date=19 September 2018|url=http://wiienvis.nic.in/Database/trd_8222.aspx}}</ref> Following the report, the Indian government pledged $153&nbsp;million to the initiative, set up measures to combat poaching, promised funds to relocate up to 200,000 villagers in order to reduce human-tiger interactions,<ref>{{cite news |author=Page, J. |date=2008 |title=Tigers flown by helicopter to Sariska reserve to lift numbers in western India |newspaper=The Times |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4272945.ece |location=London |access-date=25 May 2010}}</ref> and set up eight new [[tiger reserves]] in India .<ref>{{cite news |date=2008 |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/02/080213-AP-india-disap.html | title=India reports sharp decline in wild tigers |publisher=National Geographic | access-date=10 June 2010}}</ref> India also reintroduced tigers to the [[Sariska Tiger Reserve]]<ref>{{cite news | url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Earth/Its-the-tale-of-a-tiger-two-tigresses-in-wilds-of-Sariska/rssarticleshow/4212845.cms | title=It's the tale of a tiger, two tigresses in wilds of Sariska |publisher=EconomicTimes | date=2009 | access-date=10 June 2010}}</ref> and by 2009 it was claimed that poaching had been effectively countered at [[Ranthambore National Park]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/11/stories/2009031152382000.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311163809/http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/11/stories/2009031152382000.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 March 2009 |title=Tigers galore in Ranthambhore National Park |date=2009 |work=[[The Hindu]] | access-date=10 June 2010}}</ref>

The tiger has been one of the most sought after game animals of Asia. Tiger hunting took place on a large scale in the early 19th and 20th centuries, being a recognised and admired sport by the British in [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|colonial India]], the [[maharaja]]s and aristocratic class of the erstwhile princely states of pre-independence India. A single maharaja or English hunter could claim to kill over a hundred tigers in their hunting career.<ref name = Walker /> Over 80,000 tigers were slaughtered in just 50 years spanning from 1875 to 1925 in British-ruled India.<ref name="MR">{{cite book |author1=Mahesh Rangarajan |title=India's Wildlife History: An Introduction |date=2005 |publisher=Permanent Black |location=New Delhi |isbn=8178241404 |page=32 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249292987 |access-date=3 August 2022}}</ref> Tiger hunting was done by some hunters on foot; others sat up on ''[[Hunting blind|machans]]'' with a goat or buffalo tied out as bait; yet others on elephant-back.<ref name="Tiger-hunting">{{cite book |year=2005 |title=The Treasures of Indian Wildlife |location=Mumbai |publisher=Bombay Natural History Society |pages=22–27 |chapter=The Manpoora Tiger (about a Tiger Hunt in Rajpootanah) |editor1=Kothari, A.S. |editor2=Chhapgar, B.S. |editor3=Chhapgar, B.F. |isbn=0195677285 }}</ref> King [[George V]] on his visit to Colonial India in 1911 killed 39 tigers in a matter of 10 days<ref name="LODH">{{cite journal |author1=Lodh, S. |title=Portrayal of 'Hunting' in Environmental History of India |journal=Altralang Journal |date=2020 |volume=2 |issue=2 |page=199 |url=https://www.univ-oran2.dz/revuealtralang/index.php/altralang/article/view/84}}</ref> One of these is on display at the [[Royal Albert Memorial Museum]].<ref name="RM">{{cite web |author1=Mitra, R. |title=Shooting Tigers in Early 20th-Century India |url=https://imperialglobalexeter.com/2018/09/17/shooting-tigers-in-early-20th-century-india/ |access-date=1 August 2022 |date=2018}}</ref>

[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Een groep mannen en kinderen poseert bij een pas geschoten tijger te Malingping in Bantam West-Java TMnr 10006636.jpg|thumb|right|A hunting party poses with a killed Javan tiger, 1941]]

However, the trading of tiger parts in Asia has become a major black market industry and governmental and conservation attempts to stop it have been ineffective to date.<ref name = Walker /> Almost all black marketers engaged in the trade are based in China and have either been shipped and sold within in their own country or into [[Taiwan]], [[South Korea]] or Japan.<ref name = Walker /> The Chinese subspecies was almost completely decimated by killing for commerce due to both the parts and skin trades in the 1950s through the 1970s.<ref name = Walker /> Contributing to the illegal trade, there are a number of tiger farms in the country specialising in breeding them for profit. It is estimated that between 5,000 and 10,000 captive-bred, semi-tame animals live in these farms today.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000003865.asp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705040424/http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000003865.asp | archive-date=5 July 2007 | title=Chinese tiger farms must be investigated | publisher=WWF | date=24 April 2007 | access-date=7 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/asia_pacific/where/bhutan/index.cfm?uNewsID=106740 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317005011/http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/asia_pacific/where/bhutan/index.cfm?uNewsID=106740 | archive-date=17 March 2008 | title=WWF: Breeding tigers for trade soundly rejected at CITES | date=13 June 2007 | publisher=Panda.org | access-date=7 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8487122.stm | title=Tigers and other farmyard animals | author=Jackson, Patrick | date=29 January 2010 | work=BBC News | access-date=29 January 2010}}</ref> However, many tigers for traditional medicine black market are wild ones shot or snared by [[poacher]]s and may be caught anywhere in the tiger's remaining range (from Siberia to India to the [[Malay Peninsula]] to [[Sumatra]]). In the Asian black market, a [[tiger penis]] can be worth the equivalent of around $300 U.S. dollars. In the years of 1990 through 1992, 27&nbsp;million products with tiger derivatives were found.<ref name=Walker /> In July 2014 at an international convention on endangered species in [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]], a Chinese representative admitted for the first time his government was aware trading in tiger skins was occurring in China.<ref name="TigersChina">{{cite news|title=Conservationists shocked by Chinese admission of tiger skin selling|url=http://www.shanghaisun.com/index.php/sid/223750073/scat/b8de8e630faf3631/ht/Conservationists-shocked-by-Chinese-admission-of-tiger-skin-selling|access-date=12 July 2014|publisher=Shanghai Sun|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714140141/http://www.shanghaisun.com/index.php/sid/223750073/scat/b8de8e630faf3631/ht/Conservationists-shocked-by-Chinese-admission-of-tiger-skin-selling|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Gunther Gebel-Williams 1969.jpg|thumb|right|Publicity photo of animal trainer [[Gunther Gebel-Williams]] with several of his trained tigers, promoting him as "superstar" of the [[Ringling Brothers]] and [[Barnum and Bailey Circus]] circa 1969.]]

In [[Ancient Roman]] times, tigers were kept in [[menagerie]]s and [[amphitheatre]]s to be exhibited, trained and paraded, and were often provoked to fight [[gladiators]] and other exotic beasts.<ref>{{cite book |author=Auguet, Roland |year=1994 |title=Cruelty and civilization: the Roman games |publisher=Psychology Press |pages=83–85 |isbn=978-0-415-10453-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Baker, William |year=1988 |title=Sports in the Western World |publisher=University of Illinois Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/sportsinwesternw00bake/page/33 33] |isbn=978-0-252-06042-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/sportsinwesternw00bake/page/33 }}</ref> Since the 17th century, tigers, being rare and ferocious, were sought after to keep at European castles as symbols of their owners' power. Tigers became central [[zoo]] and [[circus]] exhibits in the 18th century: a tiger could cost up to 4,000 [[French franc|francs]] in France (for comparison, a professor of the Beaux-Arts at Lyons earned only 3,000 francs a year),<ref name="bartay">{{cite book |author=Baratay, Eric | year=2004 |title=Zoo: A History of Zoological Gardens in the West |publisher=Reaktion Books |page=19 |isbn=978-1-86189-208-9}}</ref> or up to $3,500 in the United States, where a lion cost no more than $1,000.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Ruppel, Louis |year=1951 |title=Collier's, Volume 127 |publisher=Crowell-Collier Publishing Company |page=61}}</ref>

In 2007, over 4,000 captive tigers lived in China, of which 3,000 were held by about 20 larger facilities, with the rest held by some 200 smaller facilities.<ref name=Nowell2007>{{cite book |author1=Nowell, K. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Ling, X. |year=2007 |title=Taming the tiger trade: China's markets for wild and captive tiger products since the 1993 domestic trade ban |publisher=TRAFFIC East Asia |location=Hong Kong |url=http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/tigers/WWFBinaryitem15400.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117222507/http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/tigers/WWFBinaryitem15400.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 January 2012 }}</ref> In 2011, 468 facilities in the USA kept 2,884 tigers.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wildlife Watch Group |year=2011 |title=Less than 3,000 Pet Tigers in America |url=http://www.citesnepal.org/download.php?id=18 |journal=Wildlife Times |volume=5 |issue=37 |pages=12–13}}</ref> Nineteen US states banned private ownership of tigers, fifteen require a license, and sixteen states have no regulation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bornfreeusa.org/b4a2_exotic_animals_summary.php |title=Summary of State Laws Relating to Private Possession of Exotic Animals |publisher=Born Free USA |access-date=12 December 2010}}</ref> [[Genetic ancestry]] of 105 captive tigers from fourteen countries and regions showed that forty-nine animals belonged distinctly to five subspecies; fifty-two animals had mixed subspecies origins.<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=18424146 |author=Luo, S. |author2=Johnson, W. E. |author3=Martenson, J. |author4=Antunes, A. |author5=Martelli, P. |author6=Uphyrkina, O. |author7=Traylor-Holzer, K. |author8=Smith, J. L.D. |author9=O'Brien, S. J. |year=2008 |title=Subspecies Genetic Assignments of Worldwide Captive Tigers Increase Conservation Value of Captive Populations |journal=Current Biology |volume=18 |issue=8 |pages=592–596 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2008.03.053 |s2cid=16594083 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Many Siberian tigers in zoos today are actually the result of crosses with Bengal tigers.<ref name="SandersonMoulton1998">{{cite book |last1=Sanderson |first1=J. |last2=Moulton |first2=M. |title=Wildlife Issues in a Changing World|edition=Second |date=1998 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4398-3262-2 |page=133}}</ref>

[[File:Minhwa-Tiger and magpie-03.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.6|''Tiger and Magpie'', a Korean ''[[minhwa]]'' (folk art) painting, late 19th century.]]

The tiger's tail appears in stories from countries including China and Korea, it being generally inadvisable to grasp a tiger by the tail.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://history.cultural-china.com/Wise/wise173.html |title=Tiger's Tail |publisher=Cultural China |access-date=29 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329215619/http://history.cultural-china.com/Wise/wise173.html |archive-date=29 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=A Tiger by the tail and other Stories from the heart of Korea |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |author=Chan-eung, Par |year=1999}}</ref> In [[Korean mythology|Korean myth]] and [[Korean culture|culture]], the tiger is regarded as a guardian that drives away evil spirits and a sacred creature that brings good luck – the symbol of courage and absolute power. For the people who live in and around the forests of Korea, the tiger considered the symbol of the Mountain Spirit or King of mountain animals. So, Koreans also called the tigers "San Gun" (산군) means Mountain Lord.<ref>[[Standard Korean Language Dictionary]]</ref>

In [[Buddhism]], the tiger is one of the Three Senseless Creatures, symbolising anger, with the monkey representing greed and the deer lovesickness.<ref name="Cooper92">{{cite book |last=Cooper |first=J. C. |title=Symbolic and Mythological Animals |pages=161–62 |year=1992 |publisher= Aquarian Press |location=London |isbn=978-1-85538-118-6}}</ref> The [[Tungusic peoples]] considered the Siberian tiger a near-deity and often referred to it as "Grandfather" or "Old man". The [[Udege people|Udege]] and [[Nani people|Nanai]] called it "Amba". The [[Manchu people|Manchu]] considered the Siberian tiger as "Hu Lin," the king.<ref name="Tigersnow">{{cite book |last=Matthiessen | first=P. |author2=Hornocker, M. |year=2008 |title=Tigers in the Snow |publisher=Paw Prints |edition=reprint |isbn=9781435296152 }}</ref> In [[Hinduism]], the god [[Shiva]] wears and sits on tiger skin.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sivkishen |year=2014 |title=Kingdom of Shiva |location=New Delhi |publisher=Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd. |pages=301 }}</ref> The ten-armed warrior goddess [[Durga]] rides the tigress (or lioness) Damon into battle. In southern India the god [[Ayyappan]] was associated with a tiger.<ref>{{cite web |last=Balambal |first=V. |title=19. Religion – Identity – Human Values – Indian Context | work=Bioethics in India: Proceedings of the International Bioethics Workshop in Madras: Biomanagement of Biogeoresources, 16–19 January 1997 |publisher=Eubios Ethics Institute |year=1997 |url=http://www.eubios.info/india/BII19.HTM |access-date=8 October 2007}}</ref> Dingu-Aneni is the god in North-East India is also associated with tiger.<ref name="SAOI">{{cite book |author1=Nanditha Krishna |title=Sacred Animals Of India |date=11 January 2010 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-8184751826 |url=https://penguin.co.in/book/sacred-animals-of-india/ |access-date=5 August 2022}}</ref> The [[Werecat|weretiger]] replaces the [[werewolf]] in [[shapeshifting]] folklore in Asia;<ref name="summers66">{{cite book | last=Summers | first=M. |author-link=Montague Summers | title=The Werewolf in Lore and Legend | publisher=Dover Publications |location=Mineola | year=1933 |edition=2012 | page=21 | isbn=978-0-517-18093-8}}</ref> in India they were evil sorcerers, while in Indonesia and Malaysia they were somewhat more benign.<ref>{{cite book |title=Tracking the Weretiger: Supernatural Man-Eaters of India, China and Southeast Asia |last=Newman |first=Patrick |year=2012 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-7218-5 |pages=96–102 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PdPTM6NitwoC&q=weretiger&pg=PA97 }}</ref> In [[Greco-Roman world|Greco-Roman tradition]], the tiger was depicted being ridden by the god [[Dionysus]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Dunbabin|first=Katherine, M. D.|title=Mosaics of the Greek and Roman World|year=1999|location=Cambridge|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|pages=32, 44|isbn=978-0-521-00230-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U7Uu_Dq8oY4C}}</ref>

 

[[File:The Tyger BM a 1794.jpg|thumb|upright|[[William Blake]]'s first printing of ''[[The Tyger]]'', 1794]]

In European heraldry, the [[Tyger (heraldry)|tyger]], a depiction of a tiger as imagined by European artists, is among the creatures used in charges and supporters. This creature has several notable differences from real tigers, lacking stripes and having a leonine tufted tail and a head terminating in large, pointed jaws. A more realistic tiger entered the heraldic armory through the [[British Empire]]'s expansion into Asia, and is referred to as the Bengal tiger to distinguish it from its older counterpart. The Bengal tiger is not a common creature in heraldry, but is used as a supporter in the arms of [[Bombay]] and emblazoned on the shield of the [[University of Madras]].<ref>[[Arthur Fox-Davies]], ''A Complete Guide to Heraldry'', T.C. and E.C. Jack, London, 1909, 191–192, https://archive.org/details/completeguidetoh00foxduoft.</ref>

* {{Commons and category-inline|Panthera tigris|linktext=''Panthera tigris''}}

* {{Wikispecies-inline|Panthera tigris|''Panthera tigris''}}

* {{Wikiquote-inline|Tigers}}

* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Tigers}}