Do tigers swim in water? Unlike most cats, tigers love water

The tiger is the largest and most formidable representative cat family. There are legends about the fierce temper of the predator; even lions are inferior to its cruelty and pressure. The vibes of wild, uncontrollable power emanating from the tiger’s large and majestic body cause unmotivated anxiety among the inhabitants of the forest and panic fear long before the beast appeared within sight. A person who is close to an approaching predator experiences the same intense emotions.

Myths and legends

In the mythology of many peoples of the world, the tiger is the owner of the forest, the king of animals, the owner of magical qualities and powerful energy. In ancient China, the predator was considered a threat to demons and a protector against disease; in Korea, it was known as the spirit of caves and mountains.

The Nivkhs, living in Japan and Russia, considered the beast to be a special breed of “human tigers.” When meeting him, it was necessary to bow and make a welcoming speech, but it was strictly forbidden to injure or kill the tiger. Many Indian tribes considered and still consider the animal to be their ancestor, who stood at the origins of the family.

The hunters of Transbaikalia called the tiger “fierce” and avoided the paths trodden by it. If by chance they came across the trail of an animal walking forward, they tried not to leave it, but to move with their backs in the opposite direction, while making frequent bows. This way, in their opinion, it was possible to avoid the tiger’s wrath and inevitable disaster. Kyrgyz shamans, in the process of ritual actions, turn to the kind white tiger for help.

In Chinese Buddhism, the beast represents anger. For Indians, it is a symbol of military valor. According to Japanese tradition, the predator in the bamboo grove symbolizes human evil.

In Eastern medicine, the tiger was considered as a source valuable material for the production of medicinal drugs. To cure infertility, women were recommended to eat the meat of a predator or jump over its skin. Chinese healers made from various parts animal body antipyretics and aphrodisiacs.

Despite all sorts of prohibitions, products from tiger organs are in demand and are sold on illegal markets.

Carefully! Cannibals!

Collisions between an animal and an unarmed person end in bloodshed and a dramatic ending. Man-eating tigers pose a particular danger. Usually these are sick or old individuals who are not capable of attacking a stronger enemy. They purposefully hunt people, set up ambushes near rural roads, and always attack from behind. Quite healthy individuals can become cannibals. Animals quickly get used to the taste of human meat and are no longer able to deny themselves this pleasure.

To prevent a tiger attack, residents of dangerous areas resort to various tricks and tricks. One of these tricks is a mask in the shape of a face with big eyes, worn at the back of the head. The “look” of the mask scares away the predator and it does not risk attacking, but retreats back into the jungle.

Many are sad known facts tigers once again remind us of the bloody and insidious nature of the predator. Some of such evidence, such as the serial killings of people by a man-eating tigress in the Indian district of Nainital (1925 - 1930), are particularly cruel. According to confirmed data, the beast managed to kill 64 people.

The Champawat tigress is considered the most bloodthirsty predator of the 20th century. According to researchers, she is responsible for 436 murders, of which 200 people were killed in Nepal and 236 in the Kumaon region. The animal hunted people for several years. Even the Nepalese army could not cope with the dangerous predator - it always managed to evade pursuit. point in this tragic story directed by the famous hunter of cannibalistic predators Jim Corbett. He covered the seasoned beast in 1911.

The mango forests of Sundraban, Uttar Pradesh state in India, still pose a mortal danger to humans. According to local scientists, every fourth tiger living in these regions is a potential man-eater.

Features of hunting

For many centuries, the tiger has been a coveted trophy. Hunting for it, regardless of the region of its habitat, was widespread, becoming more of an entertainment and sporting pleasure than a way of protecting against attack by a predator.

In ancient Korea, animal hunters were highly revered and occupied a very high status in society. Their clothing was different from that of their fellow tribesmen, consisting of a blue turban, a jacket of the same color and an unusual necklace. The daily diet of trappers necessarily included the meat of a killed animal.

Hunting tigers in Central Asia was studying great conqueror Alexander the Great. For her, he used darts sharpened in a special way.

The English colonialists entertained themselves with this dangerous and cruel activity. They used local residents as beaters. They themselves moved on elephants or followed the victim on foot. The skins of killed animals became carpets or stuffed animals in the homes of the English aristocracy, and the meat became a delicacy during feasts.

History of the species

Since 1929, the animal belongs to the genus Panthera (panther). The Latin name of the species is Panthera tigris, where "tigris" translated into Russian means fast or spicy. The first information about the predator can be found in the works of the physician and naturalist Carl Linnaeus; zoologist George Robert Gray also studied this species and contributed to Scientific research naturalist Nikolai Severtsov.

Fossil remains of wild tigers dating back to the Pleistocene period were found on the island of Java, northern China, Sumatra, Siberia, and India. According to molecular genetic studies, the predator is directly related to the genus Panthera and separated from the common ancestral branch more than two million years ago.

In the same time Saber-toothed tiger, despite its name, according to DNA results it has no relation to living tigers.

Distribution and population status

Previously, the living space of the predator covered vast territories: from Indonesia to Transcaucasia and Central Asia, from Far East to Iran. At the beginning of the 20th century, up to 100 thousand animals lived on Earth, 40 thousand of which lived in India.

The growing invasion of civilization into virgin nature and poaching contributed to the catastrophic decline of the species. Now the tiger's habitat is limited to several regions of Asia, divided into separate populations, total number which does not exceed 5 thousand.

On the islands of Bali and Java, in Transcaucasia and Central Asia, animals disappeared in the second half of the last century. In Korea and Manchuria, from 20 to 30 individuals have survived, up to 550 predators live in the Far East, and in Sumatra there are no more than 500 of them. The largest number of tigers remain in Indochina and India - about 3.5 thousand.

Security measures

The predator is under international security and is listed in the Red Book. Hunting for it is prohibited. To preserve the species and maintain the population size, specialized protected areas are created.

In the Far East there are several state-protected zones - Sikhote-Alinsky, Lazovsky and Ussuriysky national parks, Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve. To observe tigers, scientists most often use camera traps, the tracking method, GPS tracking, and radio tracking.

Appearance

The tiger cat is massive in appearance, but incredibly flexible and agile animal.

Its weight exceeds all conceivable limits and is the most impressive among the representatives of the cat family. The average-sized tiger weighs 190 - 250 kg. A large individual can reach a body weight of up to 300 - 320 kg.
An adult animal has a length excluding the tail of the order three meters, height at withers up to 1.2 meters.
The front legs are more powerful and tall than the hind legs. The feet are very wide, the claws are retractable. The hind paw has only four toes, the front paw has five toes.
The massive, rounded head of the tiger is set on a wide, powerful neck. The muzzle is decorated with sideburns on both sides.
The eyes are yellow with round pupils.
The forehead is convex.
The nose is large, the bridge of the nose is wide.
The jaw is strong, the length of the fangs is up to 8 cm.
The ears are small, without tufts.

Thanks to its color, the tiger looks very colorful in life and in photos. The southern subspecies have a short, sparse and fairly hard coat. Northern individuals have a fluffy skin with long, medium-hard hair. The striped tiger may have a rusty brown or rusty red base color. The throat, belly and paws are white-gray on the inside. There are light spots on the face and ears.

The stripes on the coat are located uniquely in each individual. The predator has up to 100 such stripes. The color palette includes all shades of brown and black, depending on the subspecies. In the neck and on the body they are located in the transverse direction, reaching the belly, where they end with sharp ends, like a bayonet.

On the front half of the body, the stripes are rare, their frequency increases towards the beginning of the tail. In the pelvic area, the stripes go down halfway to the hips. The tiger's tail has up to ten transverse stripes and a black spot at the very end.

Color options

The white tiger is a successful result of a gene mutation, occurring once in 10 thousand individuals. In life and in the photo, the white tiger looks amazingly beautiful - absolutely sparkling in the sun white fur, heavenly purity Blue eyes, clearly defined black-brown stripes. The first such tiger cub was taken from its mother by a trapper in 1951. Since then, scientists have been breeding them in captivity, and all individuals are descendants of the found animal. Tigers with unusual colors reproduce well and constantly replenish their mini-population.
The golden tiger owes its color to a recessive gene responsible for its unusual coat color. The history of the appearance of the animal goes back to the beginning of the 20th century, it was then that the first animal with this color was discovered. At that time, many theories were put forward in this regard, but none of them were confirmed. An explanation for this phenomenon was found after a genetic study, as a result of which a recessive gene was found. There are 30 golden-colored individuals in zoos around the world, and almost all of them are the result of crossing adults with their offspring.
The population contains completely black tigers and animals with a bluish-gray color.

Habitat and lifestyle

The landscapes where these animals live are very diverse. The predator adapts well to any climate and terrain, be it mangroves or bamboo thickets, rainforests, bare rocks, harsh Siberian taiga or dry savannah with sparse vegetation. Found at altitudes up to 3 thousand meters.

The animal tiger is a loner by nature. During the day it sleeps in the den, and in the evening it goes in search of prey. Hiking sometimes lasts until the morning.

At the age of a tiger cub, he deftly and quickly climbs trees; an adult predator does not climb trees - his weight does not allow him. Loves and knows how to swim, is not afraid of severe frosts, tolerates well hot weather. Usually the tiger is silent. It makes dull growling sounds only during the mating season, at the moment of rage and when it attacks the victim.

Wherever a tiger lives, its personal territory is saturated with an individual scent. It abundantly irrigates rocks, bushes, and tree trunks with urine. Leaves urine marks on vertical surfaces. To remind himself even more, he rubs his back against the trees, scratches the bark, loosens the snow or earth.

The size of hunting grounds depends on the region inhabited, the amount of food available and gender. Males occupy large territories - from 60 to 100 km 2. In search of prey, they cover from 9 to 41 km per day. Females are limited to more modest boundaries; the area of their personal territory does not exceed 20 km 2. The areas of a male and several females can intersect with each other. Animals always move along the same paths.

It behaves aggressively towards other males, when it sees them it takes a threatening pose and makes no less threatening sounds. If mutual understanding is not reached, he enters into a brutal, bloody battle to the bitter end. The tiger is more favorable towards females; it can live with them in the same territory and share its prey.

Hunting and food

The predator hunts alone. It waits for prey near trails or stalks. The choice of hunting method depends on the time of year. IN summer time In search of prey, it follows the trail, and in winter it hunts near trails. For an ambush he chooses the leeward side. Sneaks up on the victim quietly and unnoticed.

The tiger attacks with lightning speed, making incredible leaps (up to 10 meters). The victim is grabbed by the throat and breaks her neck, sometimes simply strangled. It can eat up to 30 kg of meat per day. Stays near large prey for several days.

The daily diet includes all the game that lives in the same region. As a rule, these are ungulates, hares, birds, and monkeys. Loves nuts and fruits, eats grass.

Reproduction and care of offspring

The mating season occurs in December - January and is accompanied by stormy courtship. Males find a female ready for fertilization by the smell of marks left by the chosen one. Other males, if they appear on the tiger’s path, meet with a decisive rebuff and are driven away.

The female's estrus lasts several days and repeats after some time if pregnancy has not occurred. Animals mate several times a day. The process is accompanied by a loud, heartbreaking roar.

The female is ready to have offspring when she reaches three to four years of age, but not more often than once every two to three years. Pregnancy lasts on average three months (98 - 112 days). Before the birth of her babies, the tigress sets up a warm den in hard-to-reach and safe places - in windbreaks, distant caves, dense mangroves, rock crevices. The male is not allowed to the den, as he has a ferocious disposition and may well kill newborn tiger cubs; he does not participate in the upbringing of his offspring.

The litter appears in late March - early April and consists of two, three or four kittens. Cubs are born blind, have a significant weight (1.3 to 1.5 kg), and require constant maternal care. Eyes open one week after birth.

They eat for up to one and a half months breast milk. Upon reaching two months, they can leave the den and accompany their mother on short trips. The female gradually accustoms them to eating meat, teaches them all the intricacies of hunting, and serves as a reliable support and protection during the entire period of their stay together.

By the age of two, young tigers are ready to live independently. Young females tend to establish their own den near their mother's hunting grounds. Males have to go in search of new, unoccupied territories. Often they come across old predators on their way, and here they cannot do without a fight that is fatal for one of the individuals.

Females reach sexual maturity at three to four years, males at four to five years.

Lifespan of animals natural conditions does not exceed 26 years.

Life in captivity

They live in many zoos around the world and reproduce well. In some US states, according to experts, 12 thousand predators are kept as pets. They are tamed and trainable, but keeping them outside an enclosure is very dangerous. With age, the animal becomes aggressive and poses a real threat to life. You can find out how much a tiger costs in a specialized nursery.

Hybrids

The desire for profit by owners of private zoos has led to the emergence of tiger hybrids. The most famous of them are the tiger lion and the liger.

The tiger lion was the result of crossing a male tiger and a female lion. The animal has a short mane, stripes and spots on the body. Its weight does not exceed 150 kg. Females can give birth, males are sterile.
The liger is an unusual hybrid that grows throughout its life. In old age, its body reaches three meters in length. The liger's mother is a tigress, and his father is a male lion. Female ligers can interbreed with individuals of the original species.

Subspecies

This species has nine subspecies, three of which are completely exterminated by poachers.

lives in the Ussuri taiga, owns huge hunting grounds (up to 800 km 2). This is the biggest tiger known to science. No more than 500 individuals of this subspecies survive in the wild. The weight of a tiger can reach 320 kg, body length - 2.5 meters. The animal has thick, long hair and a thick layer of fat on its belly. It is distinguished by a dull color and a smaller number of stripes than its relatives. The beast is depicted on the coat of arms of the Primorsky Territory.
- endemic to the island of Bali. The last individual was exterminated by poachers in 1937. The animals had short, hard fur orange tint and a small number of black stripes. Local residents did not like the animal; they considered it a dark and destructive force.
– is part of the largest population (3 - 4.5 thousand individuals). Lives in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan. In some countries it is considered the national animal. The average weight of females is about 150 kg, males - 230 kg. Is it light orange yellow color, brown stripes. The menacing roar of the predator can be heard at a distance of three kilometers. This subspecies has become notorious due to numerous attacks on people.
lived in the southern territory of Russia, Azerbaijan, Abkhazia, Armenia, Turkey. Another name for the subspecies is the Caspian tiger. The predator was exterminated in the sixties of the last century. He had a bright color with dark, numerous stripes and long, thick hair. The largest tiger weighed 240 kg.
It is distinguished by its dark color and lives on the Indochina Peninsula. The weight of adult males reaches 190 kg, females – 140 kg. The population size is about 1.8 thousand individuals. Animal organs are illegally used by Eastern healers.
- one of the smallest subspecies. The weight of females does not exceed 120 kg, males 180 kg. The body length of animals is in the range of 2.3 – 2.6 meters. These animals most likely no longer exist in the wild. The South China tiger is kept in zoos in China, where only 59 individuals live.
chose the Malacca Peninsula as his place of residence. It was classified as a separate subspecies only in 2004. The population numbers almost 800 individuals. The animal is depicted on the coat of arms of Malaysia.
lives on the island of Sumatra. The number of subspecies is 400 - 500 individuals. The animal is relatively small in size compared to the Indian and Amur subspecies. The weight of males does not exceed 130 kg, females - 90 kg. The beast is very aggressive and often attacks people.
- endemic to the island of Java. The beast was completely destroyed in 79 of the last century. The animal had a small weight category - minimum weight females reached 75 kg, males – 100 kg.

Tiger (lat. Panthera tigris) is a mammal and the most large predator from the cat family. The body of this animal is elongated, flexible and muscular, 1.8 - 3.1 m long and weighing about 270 kg.

The head is round in shape, the ears are small, and the tail is long (about 90 cm). The coat color is red with black transverse stripes.

Thanks to this unusual color, the animal can camouflage itself well in thickets. In addition, the color of the skin depends on the specific geographical location of the “cat,” which makes it possible to distinguish several subspecies of this animal.

Most known species are the Amur, Bengal, and Indochinese tigers. These animals can be found only in Asia (in Southeast Asia, the Middle and Far East, in the Primorsky Territory of Russia), they live in a variety of areas (both in forests and in the mountains).

They feed on ungulates, and also do not disdain crocodiles, turtles, crabs, fish and insects. The mating season usually occurs during winter time years, the duration of pregnancy varies between 95 and 112 days.

Usually from two to four tiger cubs are born, in rare cases - one. Young tigers live with their mother for 2-5 years, and reach sexual maturity: females at 3-4 years, males at 4-5 years. Life expectancy is a maximum of 25-26 years.

Tigers always hunt in packs. This statement is far from the truth. Many people confuse the lifestyle of tigers with the lifestyle of lions. Lions - yes, they live and hunt in groups, while tigers are animals accustomed to solitude, and therefore prefer to hunt alone. Although there is an exception to this tiger rule: tigers can hunt in a small group if mating season and when young tiger cubs are not yet able to independently lead a full adult life.

Each tiger can be distinguished from another by the paw prints it leaves. In reality, the track of the same tiger will always look different on different soils, so it is not easy to tell which tiger visited a given place.

Tigers are afraid of water. Unlike other felines, tigers and jaguars are not the least bit afraid water places and swim there with great pleasure. When the weather is particularly hot, these animals literally do not get out of the water; they can lie there for hours, escaping the scorching sun.

Tigers cannot climb trees. They also belong to the cat family, which means, like an ordinary domestic cat, they can climb a tree. But it’s not a particularly favorite activity for them, and a tiger can climb a tree only if a tasty morsel is “settled” there, or if there is stressful situation. Therefore, when meeting a tiger, there is no point in hiding from the beast in a tree.

Tigers love to feast on humans. As a rule, a healthy young tiger will never specifically hunt a person; ungulates and other animals are quite enough for him. Old or sick (wounded) tigers can actually attack people, since they are no longer able to hunt large prey.

Having obtained food for itself and having eaten heartily, the tiger sets off on a long journey, no longer paying attention to other animals. False statement. The tiger is not a fan of long walks, and therefore rarely makes long journeys. And he can hunt at any opportunity presented to him.

Exists separate species tigers - White tigers. This is an erroneous statement. In fact, white tigers are not classified as a separate breed group. In addition, the birth of a white tiger is quite rare. Such " ugly duck"among tigers can be born to a completely normal orange-black tiger family. The thing is that the fur of white tigers can sometimes be devoid of the pigmentation responsible for the red color, while the black stripes remain unchanged. So you get a tiger with black stripes on white fur coat

Tigers fight with each other for life and death. Controversial statement. Usually, a fight for tigers is a way to prove which of them is stronger. But, as a rule, the strongest will never “finish off” the weak. As soon as the weaker animal realizes that it is not able to fight the enemy, it tries to retreat as quickly as possible, and the stronger one, in turn, shows generosity and does not pursue its fleeing brother.

Tigers hate dogs. What is true is true. There are several points of view that explain this hatred. One view is that there has been a long-standing feud between dogs and cats. Another is inclined to think that dog meat is very healthy for a tiger and is extremely tasty. In any case, no matter what the dog does and no matter where it is, having noticed it, the tiger strives to “crush” the animal.

These animals live only in Africa. Most researchers believe that all currently known varieties of this predatory cat originated from South Chinese tigers. Gradually they settled Iran and Turkey, but this cannot be said about Africa. Of course, today there are more than enough of them there, but this does not mean that the tigers themselves moved there and took a liking to these places; most likely, people helped them in this.

Tiger

Tiger - species carnivorous mammals cat family, one of the four representatives of the panther genus, which belongs to the subfamily of big cats.

The tiger is an exclusively Asian species. It appeared somewhere in northern China about two million years ago. The historical range of the tiger is located in the Far East of Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, China, India and the countries of Southeast Asia, the island of Indonesia.

Tigers live in wide range landscapes: tropical rainforests, mangrove swamps and bamboo thickets in the tropics, dry savannas, semi-deserts, bare rocky hills and taiga in the north. In the mountains, tigers rise to heights of up to 3000 m above sea level.

The tiger is one of the largest land predators, second in mass only to the white and brown bears.

The tiger is the largest and heaviest of the wild cats, but its various subspecies vary greatly in size and body weight.

The largest tigers are the Amur (Ussuri, Siberian) and Indian (Bengali) subspecies.

Body length (without tail) large tigers- up to 3.5 meters. And the tail is 1 meter long!
Height at withers up to 1.15 meters.
Average weight A male tiger weighs about 180-200 kg, a female - 120-140 kg.

The tiger's head is round. The ears are small, rounded. On the sides of the head the hair is longer - something like a beard.

The basic color tone of tigers ranges from rusty red to rusty brown. Belly, chest and inner surface paws - light. There are also light markings on the back of the ears.

There are light (“golden”) and white tigers.

The tiger's body is covered with stripes, the color of which varies from brown to completely black. The tiger's striped skin serves to camouflage it when hunting in forests and bushes. The tiger's coloring allows it to remain undetected in the thickets. It is interesting that the striped pattern is present not only on the skin, but also on the skin of the tiger, and if the fur is shaved, dark fur grows on the dark stripes, and the pattern is completely restored.
The shape and spacing of stripes varies among different subspecies, but most tigers have more than 100 stripes.

The arrangement of stripes is unique to each individual animal, and thus can be used to identify individuals, similar to fingerprints in humans. This feature sometimes used by researchers to identify individuals being monitored in the wild.

Sounds a tiger makes:

The tiger, thanks to the structure of the larynx and vocal cords, is capable of roaring.
- a tiger growls during a fight or makes a victorious growl after a successful hunt.
- when meeting a person or rival, the tiger hisses or purrs threateningly.
- when attacked, the tiger snorts like a domestic cat.
- caressing the tiger gently purrs, sometimes turning to meowing.

Tiger - very strong cat, with a powerful, muscular, flexible body that allows him to successfully cope with even a large victim.
The tiger is active both at night and during daylight hours. Tigers have well-developed night vision.

The tiger moves with large steps and almost silently, thanks to the soft pads on its paws. The front feet have 5 toes, the hind feet have four, all with retractable claws.

Adult tigers do not climb trees, although cubs and young tigers can play and rest in trees.

The tiger's hind legs are longer than its front legs, making it easy to jump on its prey.
Large claws and a powerful, muscular shoulder girdle allow the tiger to grab prey so that it has no chance of escape.

An adult tiger, like most other cats, has 30 teeth. There are 6 incisors and 2 canines on the upper and lower jaws. Well-developed fangs, which can reach 8 cm in length, help the tiger kill prey.

The long and mobile tongue is equipped on the sides with special tubercles, which are covered with keratinized epithelium and allow the meat to be separated from the skeleton of the victim. These bumps also help with "washing".

Tiger is the only cat that loves to swim!

All cats can swim, although the vast majority prefer to stay away from water and only approach it to drink. Tigers live in dense forests and often settle near water. Neither a river nor a lake is an obstacle for a tiger, which has no fear of deep or flowing water. Tigers swim well and, without hesitation, rush into the water for prey.

During lunch, tigers often stay near water bodies, as they drink a lot while eating. And in During hot weather, tigers regularly take baths and readily swim.

In the stuffy and hot jungles of India, tigers sit or lie for hours, immersed up to their necks in the water of a lake or river, and enjoy the coolness.

In conditions wildlife a tiger lives 16-18 years. In zoos, tigers live on average 20-25 years.

Adult tigers are territorial animals, leading a solitary lifestyle and fiercely defending their territory. Tigers mark their personal territories in various ways.

As a rule, tigers prefer to remain within the boundaries of their territories. The size of a tiger's territory depends on the habitat and the abundance of prey.

Maintaining and preserving the territory within its boundaries is essential for the survival of tigers. While the tiger is walking around its territory, it can learn about good places for hunting, breeding.

Amur tiger hunts sika deer. Museum reconstruction.

Tigers hunt exclusively alone, using two hunting techniques: sneaking up on prey and waiting for it in ambush. The first technique is used more often by tigers in winter, the second in summer.

Tigers usually stalk and wait for prey on trails and near watering holes.

Having tracked the animal, the tiger sneaks up on it from the leeward side. At the same time, he moves in short, careful steps, often crouching to the ground.

Having approached the prey as close as possible, it overtakes it with several huge jumps - the fastest way of movement.

When waiting in ambush, the tiger usually waits, lying in the wind, and when approaching, they make a quick dash over a short distance.

Despite its large body weight, a tiger can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h on almost any terrain. During a hunt, a tiger can jump up to 5 m in height and 10 m in length.

A tiger can carry killed prey, holding it in its teeth or throwing it on its back: thus, it can run with prey weighing 100 kg.

A tiger, when he is hungry, is ready to eat almost everything that comes in his way. A study of one Bengal population revealed a menu of three species of deer, wild bulls, domestic cows, buffalo, monkeys, wild boars, bears, lynx, badgers, wolves, lizards, snakes, frogs, crabs, fish, locusts, termites, carrion, and even fruit , nuts and herbs!

Tigers pair up only for a short period of time.

A tigress usually gives birth every 2 to 3 years. Over the course of her entire life, a female gives birth to 10 - 20 tiger cubs, of which approximately half die at a young age.

The tiger cubs are raised by one female.
The cubs spend the first two months in a shelter that the mother finds before they are born. The den is made in the most inaccessible places: in crevices among stones, in caves, among windbreaks, and reed supports. A female tiger can occupy the same den for several years in a row.

For the first 2 months, tiger cubs grow only on milk. They feed on mother's milk for up to 5-6 months. Then the kids begin to gradually switch to the prey brought by the tigress and at the same time show interest in the world around them.

The ability to track game, get close to it and kill it is not an innate form of behavior, but the result of teaching tiger cubs by their mother the ways and techniques of hunting.

The tigress is a caring mother. While the cubs are very young, the mother does not let the father get close to them. But later, perhaps, the tiger comes to his family from time to time.
The American zoologist J. Schaller once saw an adult tiger, two tigresses and four cubs, who quite amicably, without quarrels, ate one bull. Another time, a tigress and four cubs were having lunch when an adult tiger appeared. He was clearly hungry and eyed his prey greedily. However, he waited patiently on the sidelines until the kids were full. And only then did he begin to eat.

More recently, there were still 9 subspecies of tigers, of which three species (Caspian, Bali, Javan) have already been destroyed by humans.

Today there are only six subspecies of tigers left:

Coat of arms of Malaysia

Due to constant persecution by humans and changes in habitat conditions, the number of tigers is continuously falling and their habitat is shrinking. According to some estimates, the number of these animals has decreased by 95% compared to the century before last. The total population of the species in nature is now estimated at 4000-6500 individuals.

All types of cats can swim. But none of them would think of getting into the water unless absolutely necessary, that is, only when it comes to survival. No one except tigers, who get great pleasure from swimming and can sit in the water for an hour.

Tigers love water because of the hot climate in which they live. Water - simple and effective method lower their body temperature, and tigers willingly use it, while carefully avoiding getting moisture into their eyes and nostrils. The same applies to other cats that live in hot conditions: lions, jaguars, and ocelots can also get into the water on a particularly hot day.

Cats living in temperate and cold climates ( Snow leopards, lynxes, pumas, etc.) firmly adhere to the opinion that reservoirs are for fish, and a noble representative of the cat family has absolutely nothing to do there.

Children raised by animals