12 Largely Unknown Facts about Tigers
Tiger's legs are so powerful that he can remain standing even when dead. There have been reports of tigers getting shot, bleeding out and dying all while standing.
1 / 12
If you look at tigers eyes, he's less likely to attack and try to kill you. They prefer to use ambush tactics while hunting, so by looking straight at him you are showing him that you're aware of his presence. It's common practice for people from India to wear masks on the back of their heads when they are out in the wilds.
2 / 12
Their tongues are amazing. They are covered with numerous small, sharp, rear-facing projections called papillae and that helps them strip the skin, feathers and even meat from their pray. There have been reports of tigers licking paint straight of the walls in some zoos.
3 / 12
They are solitary creatures. It's almost impossible to see few adults together in nature.
4 / 12
They are nice guys. While lions would kill each other over pray, tigers are known to share their food. They also let females and cubs take several bites first before they join the feast.
5 / 12
They rarely see us as food. If you ever encounter a tiger, it's not his hunger that's the problem, it's the fact that you are probably on his territory and he wants you to leave.
6 / 12
While they prefer to use their mighty jaw to crush their pray, their paws are also immensely powerful. One swipe is powerful enough to crush bear's skull or even break its spine.
7 / 12
Once, nine subspecies of tiger existed. Thanks to us, now only 6 remain. Three of them have gone extinct in the past 60 years.
8 / 12
Balinese tiger was hunted to extinction on purpose. Balinese culture dictates that tigers are representations of destruction and evil. Below is one of the rare photographs of that subspecies.
9 / 12
More tigers exist in captivity in US alone than in the wilds in the rest of the world.
10 / 12
One of the most gorgeous subspecies, the white tiger, is almost extinct due to trophy hunting. There hasn't been any recorded sighting of this elusive beast for the past 50 years. Small numbers of them can be found in zoos all around the world.
11 / 12
And last and saddest fact is that wild tigers can become extinct in as little as 15 years. In the past century we killed off 97% of wild tigers all around the world.
12 / 12
