The tiger is the largest member of the cat family. Some people love the tiger for its strength and beauty, while others fear it because it has been known to occasionally eat people, but wild tigers usually ignore people. The tigers that eat people only do that because they are sick or wounded and  cannot hunt its natural prey or because food is very scarce.
                Wild tigers are only found in Asia, but in 1800's many of them lived throughout much of the southern half of the continent. Now there are only a few wild tigers in some countries while in Iran and Pakistan there are none. Tigers can live in any climate. They only need shade, water, and food. Tigers are found in the rain forests of  Thailand ; the hot dry thorn woods of India : and the cold , snowy, spruce forests of Siberia. In general, tigers like to be in the shade, and seldom go out into the open plains as lions do.

                The adult  male tiger weighs about 420 pounds ( 190 kilograms ) and are 9 feet long, including a 3 foot tail. Most adult tigresses(females) weigh about 300 pounds and are 8 feet long. The tigers coat looks like a brownish yellow to a orange-red and is marked by black stripes. Each tiger has a different stripe pattern just like humans have different fingerprints. The fur on the throat, belly, and on the inside of the legs is whitish. Many male tigers have a ruff of hair around the sides of their faces, while the tigers that live in Siberia have a shaggy winter coat.
                Some tigers have chalk white fur with chocolate -brown or black stripes, and blue eyes. These tigers are called white tigers. All other tigers have yellow eyes. White tigers in the wild are very rare. Over 100 white tigers live in zoos. They are all the descendants of a white tiger cub caught in India in !951.

                Tigers  hunt large mammals such as deer, antelope, wild cattle, and wild pigs. They may even attack young rhinoceroses, and elephants. They also hunt small animals as peafowl, monkeys, and frogs. In Asia tigers prey on domestic cattle and water buffalo.
                Tigers usually hunt at night along animal trails and dry stream beds. They must rely on their sharp vision and keen eyesight, and its sense of smell. After stalking the prey the tiger rushes at the prey in several bounds. Using its claws it grasps the prey by the rump or upper body and pulls it down. Its large teeth are good for holding  the prey while the tiger kills it.
                After the kill the tiger hauls the carcass ( dead body ) to thick cover. The tiger's neck,
shoulders, and forelegs are very powerful. A tiger can drag the dead body of a 500 pound ( 230 kilo ) water buffalo for 1/4 . A tiger may eat at least 50 pounds of meat in one night. After the meal the tiger drinks some water and takes a nap.
 
 

                Adult male tigers claim their territory and try to keep other males out of it. A tiger's territory may average out to 20 square miles. A male's territory overlaps the territories of two or more females. In addition to scent, a tiger also communicates with sounds, including a roar that can be heard for up to 2 miles away.
                A tigress ( female tiger ) usually bears her first cubs when she is 3 1/2 to 4 years old. She carries the young within her body for about 3 1/2 months. She then gives birth to from one to six cubs. Newborn cubs are helpless and weigh about 2 to 3 pounds ( 0.9 to 1.4 kilograms ). Tiger cubs , like kittens are very playful. They depend on their mother until they are about 1 year. Even then they cannot kill a large animal. Cubs become fully independent at about 2 years. Females cubs then often settle down in a territory near their mother. Males tend to roam far from their birthplace. Tigers can live up to 20 years in the wild.

                Tiger populations are slowly dwindling due to people shooting them and clearing the forests in which they live. Scientists recognize eight types of tigers. Of these varieties three are extinct and several others are rare. Only about 20 South China tigers and about 200 Siberian tigers survive in the wild. Several countries, such as India and Nepal, protect tigers in nature reserves.
                Tigers are easy to breed and raise in zoos. Cubs are popular with zoo visitors, while adult tigers are often trained to perform in circuses. They jump through hoops and are even ridden. Today, enough tigers are born in captivity that no more to be captured for zoos.