International Tiger Day 2019: Facts about the Big Cats

Every year we celebrate International Tiger Day on 29 July. This day makes us aware of the declining numbers of big cats and to promote the work of their conservation.

These facts will make us consider the importance of tiger conservation.

1. Tigers are the giant wild cats in the world. An adult tiger weighs up to 363kg. They are the third-largest carnivore on land after polar bears and brown bears.

2. Tiger's natural habitats are Tropical rainforests, evergreen forests, temperate forests, mangrove swamps, grasslands and savannas.

3. Tigers like water. They are excellent swimmers and more often spend their time in pools or streams.

4. Tigers are the only cat species that are completely stripped. They even have stripes on their skin.

5. When it comes to female tigers, they are lovely. After a gestation period of more than three months, they give birth to two-three blind and helpless cubs and take care of them till they become independent at two years of age.

6. Unlike lions, Tigers do not live in permanent groups. They live private lives except when females are raising cubs. The correct name for the group of tigers is a "streak" or "ambush".

7. The average lifespan of a wild tiger is 10 - 15 years. Sometimes they are known to live up to 26 years in the wild.

8. There are five subspecies of tiger: Bengal, Indochinese, South China, Sumatran and Siberian. Miserably, three of them have become vanished – Caspian, Bali and Javan.

9. The fossil remains of tigers found in China are supposed to be 2 million years old.

10. Less than a century back, tigers were all over Asia. However, the population is at risk due to hunting and habitat loss.