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Not
too long ago, there 8 subspecies of Tigers......
SIBERIAN/AMUR
TIGER (P.
t. altaica): The largest tiger with the lightest coloured
coat. When Siberian Tiger numbers fell to 20-30 in the 1940’s,
hunting was banned. Now, only about 400 are found in small
pockets in forest patches in the Amur region of the Russian
Far East, North Korea and northeast China. They are found
mostly outside protected reserves because they need to range
over a large area (100-400 sq kms) to find prey (Russian elk
and wild boar) which moves seasonally. Main threats are
poaching for
their fur, and habitat destruction by logging. There are 500-700
are in zoos around the world.
BENGAL
TIGER
(P.
t. tigris): Found throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian
subcontinent, it is India’s national animal. In the 1970’s,
the fall of Bengal Tiger numbers to 1,900 sparked the US$1
million Operation Tiger in India which resulted in 21 reserves
covering 30,000 sq km, a halt to logging and other human activities
in reserves, anti-poaching squads, and an education programme.
20 years later in
around 1998,
the number rose to less than 4,500. About half live outside
reserves. Poaching
remains a problem. About half are expected to be lost from
habitat destruction due to human encroachment.
INDOCHINESE
TIGER (P.
t. corbetti): Darker with vertical stripes across the
body. Fewer
than
1,000-1,800 in the wild found in China, Indochina, Myanmar
and the Malayan peninsula. 50-70 in zoos.
SUMATRAN
TIGER (P.
t. sumatrae):
Has
most pronounced ruff around the neck and is the smallest and
darkest
tiger.
Found only on Sumatra, there are fewer
than 400 in 5 national parks, about 200 outside the parks.
There
are about
250 in zoos around the world.
SOUTH
CHINA/AMOY TIGER
(P.
t. amoyensis): It
is among
the smallest subspecies. Estimated at 4,000
individuals in
the early 1950’s
and they
were hunted as a pest.
Hunting was banned only in 1979. Fewer than
20 are thought to remain in fragmented pockets of forests
and grasslands in central and eastern China. The
50
captives in
Chinese
zoos are
relatively in-bred. The Chinese Association of Zoological
Gardens is
making a serious effort to conserve the subspecies but the
small founder pool and low number of individual tigers remaining
make this subspecies the most vulnerable to extinction in
our lifetime.
3
Tiger subspecies are already extinct,
sob !
CASPIAN
(P.
t. virgata) extinct in the 1970’s: ranged from Turkey,
Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan across to China. Hunted as pests on
livestock.
JAVAN TIGER
(P.
t. sondaica) eliminated from
Java by the 1940s, the last few seen in the 1970’s.
BALI
TIGER
(P.
t. balica) probably disappeared by the end of World War
II. Javan and Bali tigers had double-looped stripes.
White
Tigers?…Hmmm
All
of the 250 or so captive white tigers are descended from Mohan,
a wild white tiger caught by the Maharaja of Rewa in 1951.
Mated with a normal tiger, Mohan was then mated with his own
offspring to produce 4 white cubs from which all other whites
descended. Not albinos, they have blue eyes and brown stripes
on white, a recessive gene replaces the orange background
with white. Due to their prominent white coats, white tigers
do not survive well in the wild. Most
are kept in captivity…and
hey…Singapore Zoo has 3 white tigers residing there !
Tigers
in culture and art
In
the past, only royalty were permitted to hunt tigers. To the
Chinese, the tiger symbolise both the destructive and protective
force. Taoists believed tigers control yin or evil
(while the dragon controlled yang or good); while Buddhists
believe the tiger represents yang. The Hindu god Shiva,
when adopting the destructive persona wears a tiger skin and
rides a tiger. Some Chinese believed that tigers were powerful
supernatural messengers between the human and spirit world,
and tiger images were placed in tombs to ward off evil spirits.
To the Thai and Malayan
aboriginal societies, tigers are said to punish those who
violate tribal laws.
In
Southeast Asia it was widely believed that shamans and magicians
could turn themselves into tigers. The tiger is still used
as a powerful symbol, especially in Asia to represent sporting
teams and used in company logos (e.g., beer, petrol).
Are
you a Tiger?
If
you were born in the year 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974,
1986 or 1998, you have the Tiger as your
Chinese Zodiac sign. In
the Chinese
Horoscope,
a tiger is courageous, determined, quick-witted. Is restless,
rebellious and loves challenges and willing to take risks.
A tiger is blunt and hates hypocrisy and often offends. However
the tiger is also impulsive and attention seeking. Fortunately,
the tiger is often lucky in most enterprises and in generous
with his rewards.
Tiger
people are most compatible
for marriage with those born in the years of the Horse
or Dog.
They are
not likely to form close associations
with people born in the year
of the Monkey.
Famous
people born in the year of
the Tiger
include Queen Elizabeth II, Marilyn Monroe and Jodie
Foster.
All the
animals in the Chinese Zodiac
signs are (in running order)
:
The
Rat, Ox, Tiger,
Rabbit, Dragon,
Snake, Horse,
Goat,
Monkey, Rooster,
Dog and Pig.
Wanna
see the tigers in person? Then drop by the
Tiger
Walkway
(unofficial
name) between the
Leopard
Trail
and the
Forest
Giants Trail
to
see them!
Click
on the above picture that will take you to 5
Tigers, The Tiger Conservation Centre
website to learn more about these magnificent big cats plus
their past and current status, latest news etc.
Activity
Section:
 
Would
you like to learn to make these paper tigers? Click on their
respective photos and follow the instructions ! Have fun !
Note:
Please do not be alarmed, the first paper tiger above is NOT
bleeding, it's just the color of its shadow, LOL !!
Acknowledgements
/ Bibliography -
Facts and photos are from the 1st edition of the Docent's
Training CD-Rom,
Vietnamese folklore from 'The Asian Animal Zodiac' by Ruth
Q. Sun, Chinese
Horoscope is linked to the
source website.
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