- The tiger is the biggest species of the cat family.
- Tigers can reach a length of up to 3.3 metres (11 feet) and weigh as much as 300 kilograms (660 pounds).
- Subspecies of the tiger include the Sumatran Tiger, Siberian Tiger, Bengal Tiger, South China Tiger, Malayan Tiger and Indochinese Tiger.
- Many subspecies of the tiger are either endangered or already extinct. Humans are the primary cause of this through hunting and the destruction of habitats.
- Around half of tiger cubs don’t live beyond two years of age.
- Tiger cubs leave their mother when they are around 2 years of age.
- A group of tigers is known as an ‘ambush’ or ‘streak’.
- Tigers are good swimmers and can swim up to 6 kilometres.
- Rare white tigers carry a gene that is only present in around 1 in every 10000 tigers.
- Tigers usually hunt alone at night time.
- Tigers have been known to reach speeds up to 65 kph (40 mph).
- Less than 10% of hunts end successfully for tigers
- Tigers can easily jump over 5 metres in length.
- Various tiger subspecies are the national animals of Bangladesh, India, North Korea, South Korea and Malaysia.
- There are more tigers held privately as pets than there are in the wild.
- Tigers that breed with lions give birth to hybrids known as tigons and ligers.