Unveiling the Majesty of Tigers 20 Intriguing Facts That'll Amaze You

Tigers are considered some of the most beautiful yet ferocious animals. Sadly, they’ve come to the brink of being called endangered because of how humans handled them. But if that doesn’t entice you enough, they’re also the largest wild cat species and weigh up to 300 kilograms! That’s like a group of six people. A punch from one may even kill you.

This giant is an apex predator with its dark vertical stripes on orange-brown fur. It feasts on ungulates, like deer and wild boar.

For someone who loves wildlife as much as me, visiting sanctuaries feels normal. However, when it comes to tigers I can’t help but wonder if there’s anything else I don’t know about them. There are a lot of rumors going around about large cats in general so it’s difficult to determine what is true or not. But hopefully, this blog will be able to shed light on some things and give you a better understanding of their life.

1. Largest Wild Cat

When we think of big cats Tigers are probably one of the first that come to mind, if not the first. Specifically, Royal Bengal Tigers are said to be the largest among other wild cats, and most weigh up to 300 kilograms! To put that into perspective, that’s like weighing six people. If they were just sitting and licking their paws while on top of you…you wouldn’t survive..

2. Tigers are so strong that a punch from it can kill you

Forget about how big they are, just look at their front legs. If you have an enemy that’s causing trouble, having a tiger as a pet could be useful for a fistfight. Kidding, you can’t own one, it’s illegal! A swipe from it will either kill or break your bones.

3. Tigers prefer to hunt at night

Not all tigers do this but most of them do to avoid coming across humans and keep their territory secure. They don’t want to fight us during the day so they wait until the sun goes down.

4. Tiger cubs start off blind and only half survive

Sadly, many tiger cubs are born blind and most don’t even make it through adulthood. They have zero vision and rely on their nose to follow mommy around. Since they’re blind, they fall behind in eating or freeze to death while looking for warmth. Some even get eaten by male tigers so they can mate with the mother... Can you believe that?

5. Instead of taking it easy like house cats, tigers are known to swim and play in the water.

Not only do they enjoy doing this, but they could also spend hours swimming around their watery homes. They’re even so good at hunting that they manage to keep that skill when underwater. Any cub or female tiger who doesn’t want to get caught by prey quickly learns how to hunt in water. It’s been reported that full-grown tigers can even swim several kilometers with one going for 30 km a day.

6. Tigers only live for about 25 years.

You’d think this big cat would have more time on Earth considering its power and build, but nope. Whether it’s out in the wild or captive in some zoo, most don’t make it past 20 years of age. A tragic case is nineteen-year-old Machli from India's Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan. The oldest recorded living tiger was Flavel from Tampa Florida who lived up to the age of 25.

7. In different situations tigers are given different names.

When forced into an enclosed space with others, they’re called an ambush or streak. This isn’t limited to just the adults either, even a mother and her cubs fall under this naming scheme.

8. Tigers can have babies with other big cats

One example of this is when a male Tiger and a female Lion mate, their baby is called a Tigon. The biggest feline species in the world, it can grow even bigger than its brother from another mother, Ligers. Ligers come from a male Lion and a female Tiger. While on all fours, they stand at about 4.5 feet and about 6 feet tall when they stand up.

9. Tigers can keep things clean

You’ll never believe what I’m going to say right now but it’s true! You know how we have that weird thing in our mouths that makes everything worse? Well, tigers actually have the opposite of that. They have saliva that can prevent infection and help heal wounds. So instead of going to the doctor for every little boo-boo you get, just find a tiger and let them do what they got to do.

10. Tigers are fast but not super fast

They might not be the fastest runners in the animal kingdom but with their strong legs they’re able to run more or less than 60 kilometers per hour, only for short amounts of time though.

11. Tiger stripes aren’t only on their fur but also on their skin

Stripes on a house cat and tiger are similar. There is a bunch of them etched into the tiger's skin. These stripes actually function like human fingerprints and help act as their identity. Even if you somehow managed to shave off the fur of a Tiger or House cat, you’d still see the stripes.

This is not permission giving you to try it at home with your domestic pets.

12. Roaring isn’t something you’ll hear from tigers often

I know I said that in an odd way, but trust me it’s true. Actually, for animals that roar, they’re pretty humble for a feline species and when compared to Lions (no offense). The male ones are seen allowing female tigers and cubs to eat first.

13. The urine that Tigers let out has a smell of buttered popcorn

Believe it or not, Tigers mark their territory just like dogs do, except they don’t raise their legs. When intruders get too close or step foot on the wrong grounds, that’s when these big cats let out urine that smells like buttered popcorn. Don’t take this as an invitation to sniff around though..

14. Tigers are known for their ambush techniques

All wildlife fans know that animals like to surprise their prey but nothing does it better than a Tiger. Armed with stripe camouflage, these animals hide in plain sight, their victim never knowing what’s coming until it’s too late. If you ever see one, don’t worry because they’re less likely to attack when seen by us. In fact, most people in villages wear masks on the back of their heads just to trick Tigers.

15. Tigers hate others

Tigers don’t like company at all. It’s rare to see multiple tigers roaming together in the wild unlike how we keep them in zoos. They prefer solitude and will often be seen taking walks or training themselves mentally on their next meal.

16. Tigers eat everything

These hunters are also not picky eaters. Once they spot a meal they’ll go after it no matter what it is, from small rodents to big bears and even other members of their cat family like leopards. They’ll even dive into the water and catch fish if necessary.

17. Tigers have the ability to copy the sounds of other animals.

Tigers actually have the ability to copy the sounds of other animals! Just like you, I was taken aback and had to do some research of my own to get a clear answer. Turns out, they can. This is an added advantage in hunting; it was discovered that tigers make a “pook” sound similar to that of sambhar, which gets these innocent animals curious and trapped. 

18. Humans are hardly ever seen as food by tigers.

For a tiger to attack a human, they must feel threatened. But there have been reports that show they’ve killed people in rural places before. It’s best for us to stay away from their area as we don’t want anything bad happening. If you ever find yourself close to one it’s best to walk backward while keeping an eye on them because most ambushes happen when their victims least expect it.

19. Tigers have a bone in their penis instead of getting erect like most mammals

Even when a tiger is aroused, it doesn’t get an erection and that’s because they have a bone in their penis. I know what you’re thinking, “How does that work?” well the bone does all the work. The bone is at the tip of the penis and creates suction by locking itself inside the female during sex, which prevents her from mating with others before his sperm gets absorbed. However, you might notice something similar between dogs.

20. They say tigers can purr but it’s up for debate

There have been quite a few debates on whether or not tigers can purr. But there is some evidence to show that they do (occasionally). However, there are other wild cats who can such as cheetahs and jaguars, but only when they exhale. Nonetheless, this isn’t something we can prove yet.

 

Note: These animals tend to close their eyes to show comfort level and feeling safe so it could just be something else entirely.