New Delhi: International Tiger Day, also known as Global Tiger Day, is observed on 29 July every year. It was established to raise awareness about tiger conservation and to promote the protection of their natural habitats.
In the past 150 years, the population of wild cats has drastically decreased by almost 95%. Currently, the total number of tigers living in the wild across the globe is estimated to be around 3,900, according to World Wildlife (WWF).
Here are some interesting facts about tigers:
Tigers are the largest wild cats in the world. An adult tiger can weigh up to 363 kilograms and measure over three metres.
Each tiger has a unique stripe pattern.
There are only few subspecies of the wild cat left- Bengal tiger, Amur tiger, Malayan Tiger, Indochinese Tiger and Sumatran Tiger. Three species- Javan, Bali and Caspian tigers- have already gone extinct. The South China Tiger is believed to be functionally extinct by the World Wildlife Fund.
A tiger’s roar can be heard from three kilometres away.
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Tigers can communicate by using their ears. A tigress communicates with her offspring by using the white dots on the back of her ears. They serve as a flasher for the cubs.
For a tiger, a large deer can provide a week’s food.
Tigers have existed for a longer time than humans- roughly two million years. However, since last century, the effects of human development have resulted in a 97% drop in the tiger population.
Most of the tigers are nocturnal.
All the tiger cubs are born blind and only half of the born cubs can survive.
The saliva of the tigers is antiseptic. If they get hurt anywhere, they just lick the area.
Tigers can travel 6-12 miles in a night for hunting. They can sprint at about 49–65 km/h for short bursts.
Tigers cannot purr.
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