tigers

Tigers (Panthera tigris) are the largest extant cats and apex predators native to Asia. They are primarily solitary, territorial carnivores with a tawny coat marked by black vertical stripes that are unique to each individual. The base color can range from orange to reddish, with a lighter underside, and some individuals display a white fur variation. Males are typically larger than females.

Tigers inhabit a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, mangrove swamps, and wetlands. Their historic range stretched across much of Asia, but today they occur in fragmented populations in India, Southeast Asia, the Russian Far East, and parts of China. There are six commonly recognized extant subspecies: Bengal, Indochinese, Malayan, Siberian (Amur), Sumatran, and South China tiger; the latter is considered extinct in the wild by many authorities. Subspecies vary in size and coat coloration, with Siberian tigers generally the largest and Sumatran tigers the smallest.

Behaviorally, tigers are mostly solitary and rely on stealth to ambush prey. They mark and defend territories and communicate through scents, visual signals, and vocalizations, including roars. Their diet consists mainly of large ungulates such as deer and wild boar, though they will consume other animals if prey is scarce. Reproduction involves a gestation of about three and a half to four months, with litters of two to five cubs that stay with the mother for up to two years.

Conservation status is listed as Endangered by the IUCN. Global wild populations are estimated in the low thousands, with India hosting a substantial portion. Main threats include habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching for skins and body parts, depletion of prey, and human-wildlife conflict. Protected areas, anti-poaching efforts, prey restoration, and landscape connectivity are central to tiger conservation efforts.