Tigers live in the forests of Asia and are the largest cat species - apex predators at the top of the food chain.
This magnificent big cat can be found in only a few countries, including Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, China, and Russia. They are a keystone species, crucial for the integrity and health of the ecosystems within their range. WWF writes that “Tigers are a vital link in maintaining the rich biodiversity of nature. If we successfully protect just one tiger, we also protect around 25,000 acres of forest. These ecosystems supply both nature and people with fresh water, food, and health. Maintaining tiger habitats also benefits a host of globally important species like Asian Elephants, Greater One-Horned Rhino, and Asiatic Black Bear, among others.”
Since 2017 the IUCN recognizes 2 sub-species: Continental Tigers and Sunda Island Tigers. Continental Tigers include Bengal, Malayan, Indochinese, and Amur (Siberian) populations. Also in this group are Caspian and South China Tigers. It is believed that the Caspian Tiger became extinct in the early 1970s. The South China Tiger is functionally extinct, and has not been seen since the late 1980s.
Sunda Island Tigers are native to the Sunda Islands in Indonesia, and include the Javan, Bali, and Sumatran populations. Today, Sunda Tigers are restricted to Sumatra as tigers on Java and Bali are extinct.
White tigers are not a separate species. The white fur is the result of a genetic mutation called leucism that causes a lack of the pigment that produces orange fur.
Tigers are closer to extinction than an all other big cats and exist today in only about 4% of their historic range. The threats faced by tigers in the wild are many and complex, but Panthera summarizes the most prominent threats as: “Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss have driven the great decline in tigers over the last century. Tigers are illegally killed for their body parts, which are usually sold for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Tigers are also threatened by overhunting of prey species and killings in retaliation to attacks on livestock or people.”
