Contrary to his brother, the Sumatran, this tiger is the largest sub-species of the tiger...which makes them the largest cats in the world! It is also known as the Amur tiger, named after the Amur River, weighing between 300 and 600 pounds and can grow to be as long as 10.5 feet! They are located in northeast China, eastern Russia and parts of North Korea. They are restricted to the mountainous areas and sadly, away from humans. They are extremely fast, strong and powerful and are used as symbols in many cultures... no wonder most poachers want them in their possession!
Adult males can weigh up to 320 kgs while female tigers weigh up to 180 kgs. They feed on the elks, boars, bears and deer that inhabit the region. They closely resemble other tigers though with a lighter shade of orange and lesser but colorful stripes. However, they have a thick layer of fur that can be as thick as 4 inches! They have extra fur on their neck and in their paws which helps them to keep warm. These tigers can feed on up to 9 kgs of meat in one sitting and usually need to hunt often as few of their hunts are successful.
Now this is one tiger that has had it rough! In the 1940s, hunting had driven them to the brink of extinction with only about 40 individuals remaining. Thankfully, rigorous efforts in the 1980s by Russia were able to grant the tiger full protection propelling its numbers to about a stable 450. Although poaching increased after the collapse of the Soviet Union, conservation efforts by WWF and other agencies have helped keep their number stable for the past decade. Interestingly, the Cold War protected them from being hunted as access to the forest was restricted. They are however classified as Endangered under the IUCN Red List.
The biggest threat that faces this tiger is poaching, human-tiger conflict and habitat destruction. They are hunted mostly for making traditional Chinese medicine and as trophies. Despite several efforts being done to curb poaching and conserve their habitats, it's sad to see how bad choices by our kind has been detrimental to the survival of this magnificent creature.
This begs the question, what can i do about this?
That's right...let's support campaigns in the forefront of saving our tigers!
Remember, you are the voice of the magnificent tiger!
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