Tigers are the fast, strong and dangerous hunters of the woods, but are now on the verge of getting extinct. These giant cats are one of the most beautiful yet ferocious animals. We are always fascinated by it. Tigers have always been the sole reason why everyone loves to visit the zoo. As breathtaking as the looks of this animal are, so are the facts too.
Let’s have a glance through some stunning facts about tigers and look at the animal from a different perspective the next time we see it.
21 Stunning Facts about Tigers
1. Cats Purr, Tigers Don’t
Whether or not tigers purr is quite a debatable topic. While some studies show that they occasionally do, in others it is said that they only make loud noises. However, other wild cats namely Jaguar and cheetah purr, that too only when they exhale. Whether they purr or not is still a question.
2. Humans are Not Always a Pray
Tigers pounce on humans only when they feel threatened. But we cannot overlook the incidence where tigers have attacked people in villages or rural areas. So, the best advice would be to stay away from their territory.
3. Largest Among Other Wild Cats
An average male tiger could weigh around 300kgs and, the Royal Bengal Tiger is supposedly one of the biggest among all wild cats.
4. The Skill to Imitate Other Animals’ Calls
Surprising but true! Tigers do have this god gift of imitating the sound of other animals’ calls. Hunting by mimicry is the advantage that tigers generally use to catch their prey and hunt them down. They are often seen making a ‘pook’ sound similar to that of the sambhar.
5. Diversified Diet
Tigers like to pounce upon anything and everything that comes in their way. Let that be a deer, bear, bird, rhino, crocodile, buffalo and even their own group of cats like leopards. They can even eat fish.
6. Love to Live in Solitude
Tigers like to stay all alone, most of the time you can spot them taking a leisure all by themselves or just thinking about their next hunting strategy.
7. Prefer Hunting in the Ambush
Tigers have a striped body which helps them camouflage, they have a tendency to hide behind the thick bushes and then attack. It’s also said that Tigers are less likely to attack when we see them.
8. Buttered Popcorn-ish Urine Smell
The next time you smell buttered popcorn, make sure you don’t get tempted by it as it is a warning sign that a tiger might be somewhere around. So it isn’t the time to drool but to run.
9. Act Humble in the Group
Just so you know, it’s true that tigers are one of the most humble species. During a meal, it’s seen that the tigers allow their ciba and females to have a bite first.
10. Sprint at over 60 Kilometers/Hour
Surely not the fastest runner in the jungle, but can’t deny that they do have strong legs which make them sprint more or less than 60 kilometers per hour, but this is only applicable for short distances.
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11. Their Saliva is Antiseptic
A less known fact about tigers is that they have antiseptic saliva, so if you have a bruise and wish to disinfect them, then go visit doctor tiger. We see tigers licking the area where they are hurt because they use it as a disinfectant.
12. A Group of Tigers are Called Ambush or Streak
This generally happens when the tigers are kept in an unnatural setting where they have to share and stay in a man made environment with other tigers, this is referred to as ambush. Also a tigress with their cubs is called the same.
13. Life Expectancy of 25 Years
An average number of years for which a tiger lives is about 20-25 years, whereas most of them die at the age of 20. For example, the death of a nineteen year old Machli in Ranthambore national park, Rajasthan, India.
14. Enjoy Swimming and Playing in Water
Tigers love to swim for hours and hours straight. Even when it comes to cubs, female tigers encourage and help learn how to hunt and even have the ability to kill in water. As an adult it is said that they can swim for several miles, it’s also reported for a tiger to have swam for 30km in a day.
15. Cubs are Born Blind and only Half of Them Survive
One of the saddest facts about tigers is that they are born blind and only half of them survive. Being blind at birth, their only way to figure out things is through the sense of smell and through this, they follow their mothers. But unfortunately some of them can’t keep up and die due to hunger and cold.
16. Nocturnal Animal
Some tigers prefer to hunt during the night time. The reason behind this is to avoid human conflict in the daytime and also patrol around their territory at night.
17. Tigers Punch are Deadly
The gigantic species has huge front paws which are quite brutal. Incidences show that one punch from the tiger can kill a person or animal if not, then at least break one’s bones.
18. Vital in Ecosystem
The apex predators remain on the top of the food chain. Tigers help in maintaining the delicate balance of the ecosystem by regulating the population of prey species. This in turn protects our fields, forests, and streams from being brutally damaged by the invasive animals.
19. Sharing Nature
Unlike lions who never share their kills with anyone, a tiger is the complete opposite to it. They are seen sharing their hunt with other tigers also making turns to make sure everyone gets a mouthful of the meal.
20. Could Die of Starvation
Studies show that a human can survive 30 – 40 days without any food. On the other hand, the tigers starve to death within 2 weeks without proper substances. This is generally due to their immense size and great appetite.
21. Love Sleeping
Most of their hunting activity takes place during the night time which gives them plenty of time to sleep during the day hours. They can sleep up to 18 hours straight. It’s rare to see them hunt in the broad daylight.
To be able to save a ferocious animal like this should be our foremost goal. In order to make sure that our future generations get to notice them for real, and to do so, we all need to switch to sustainable living.
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