Tigers are very powerful big cats. Although the tiger is very ferocious, it has won the love of many people. Do you know the following fun facts about tigers?
1. There are far more tigers in captivity than in the wild
According to statistics from relevant agencies, tigers have lost about 95% of their habitat due to the degradation and fragmentation of their living ecological environment. There are currently an estimated 3,900 tigers living in the wild. This number was 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. That is to say, the decline rate of tiger numbers in the past 100 years has reached an astonishing 96%. While tigers are endangered in the wild, it is estimated that there are around 8,000 tigers in captivity in East and South-East Asia; in the United States, the number is around 5,000 (or more), which in total already exceeds the 10,000 mark. But the lack of regulation of such captive breeding has led to repeated bans on the black-market trade in tigers.
2. The stripes on tigers are their "identity card"
When it comes to the black-market trade in tigers, tiger skins have to be mentioned. No two tigers in the world have the same stripes on their fur. So in the eyes of scientists, the stripes of a tiger have become a unique "identity card" to identify each individual. Researchers have even developed software to identify stripes on tiger fur to track surviving tigers and trace the origin of poached tiger skins.
3. Cool "tattoos" under a striped vest
Even if a tiger is shaved, its stripes will not disappear. But the stripes are not natural lines on tiger skin, but rather patterns formed by dark hair follicles on bare skin.
4. Tigers in the eyes of man and tigers in the eyes of prey
As the king of the forest, wouldn't it be more conducive to hunting if the tiger was green? In fact, what is the best color for an animal's camouflage depends largely on the visual system of their prey or predator. According to the scientists' simulations, the tiger in the woods is less conspicuous to the tiger's prey, blending in perfectly with the background.
5. Blackened tigers do exist
The white tiger is a rare mutant of the Bengal tiger. Since the white tiger exists objectively in reality, what about the black tiger? Black tigers (melanistic tigers) do exist in nature, and the black stripes on their bodies are darker and larger than ordinary individuals, even far exceeding the area of yellow hair. The black stripes are denser, sometimes even converging into a large black patch.
6. Tiger urine smells like basmati rice, popcorn…
Tigers are known to use their urine to mark territories and transmit signals, giving scientists an opportunity to study tiger urine. Tiger urine may smell a lot like certain foods, according to the researchers' analysis of tiger total marking fluid. For example, the urine of Bengal tiger has the smell of basmati rice, the urine of Siberian tiger has a unique nutty aroma, and the smell of corn...
7. Tigers like to live by water
As a cute ginger "big cat", tigers have a special liking for water. Most tigers like to choose to live by water. After all, it is hot in summer, taking a bath can be comfortable! Not only in the wild, but in captivity, a clean pool can greatly improve the welfare of tigers.
