Tiger Talk

Tigers are intriguing. Children have a fascination with tigers and enjoy solving tiger puzzles. We should all be concerned about our wild tigers. Originally there were 8 subspecies of tigers. Today only 5 remain. The Bali Tiger met its demise in the 1940's, the Caspian Tiger in the 1970's and the Javan Tiger, believe it or not, met it's demise in the 1980's, that's right the 1980's. Wild tigers are becoming extinct due to a reduction in habitat and the use of tiger parts for Chinese medicines. Experts say that in as little as five years, there could be no wild tigers left in the world. Although tigers are at the top of the food chain they still have one predator.....MAN. The more we take away from their habitat the less room there is for the tigers and their prey. If we want them to stick around we have to protect both. Tigers look cute but they are dangerous. About 50 people a year are killed by tigers. They do not purr like domestic cats and their fur is as unique as the human fingerprint. If you shave all the fur off of the tiger they will still be striped because their skin is striped too. Most tigers are orange with black stripes and a white under body and jowl. A whit tiger is not an albino. All white tigers like the one in the picture of the tiger puzzle , are believed to have descended from a single white Bengal male called Mohan. Did you know tigers live about 10 to 15 years in the wild but in captivity they can live up to 20 years? There is so much more to learn about tigers. What do you think about tigers becoming extinct?