Malayan Tiger
Common Name: Malayan Tiger
Scientific Name: Panthera tigris jacksoni
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Animals: The three female Malayan tiger cubs are the third litter of this species born at the Fort Worth Zoo; the last litter was born in 2003. Formerly exhibited as the Indochinese tiger, recent DNA testing showed that the tigers housed at the Zoo are actually a different tiger subspecies known as Malayan.
The largest cat of all, the tiger (Panthera tigris) is a powerful symbol among the different cultures that share its home. Tigers are predominately solitary creatures except for maternal bonding and during mating. They occupy exclusive territories that they defend against same-sex intruders by marking with urine and scrapes at boundaries. The tigers' stripes are like fingerprints; no two tigers have the same stripe pattern. The stripes, although striking on exhibit, actually serve as camouflage in the wild, allowing the tiger to blend into the forest's shadows and await prey.
There's no doubt the tiger is king of the forest. In fact, the mark of the Chinese character Wang (meaning "king") sits on its forehead. Tigers have night vision six times better than that of humans, short heavily muscled forelegs and long, sharp, retractable claws.
The Fort Worth Zoo's female cubs will reach maturity at about 3 years of age. They'll grow from about 2 pounds at birth to about 220 pounds as adults. |
Tiger Fun-facts
- Tigers are the largest cats in the world
- Tigers live in hot jungles as well as icy cold forests
- Unlike most cats, tigers love water
- Their Latin name is Panthera tigris
- A tiger's paw prints are called pug marks
- Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur
- Tigers can see in the dark six times better than humans can; they can also see in color
- A tiger's roar can be heard more than a mile away
- Tigers, lions, leopards and jaguars are the only four cats that can roar, but can't purr
- A group of tigers is called a streak
Sources: World Wildlife Fund, The Tiger Foundation, PBS
Adoption Packages available:
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Habitat/Range: The Malayan tiger is found throughout Peninsular Malaysia and is scientifically named after Peter Jackson, a famous tiger conservationist. This subspecies prefers thick, evergreen forests and can also be found in peat swamps. Today an estimated 490 adult individuals remain in the wild.
Status in the Wild: Critically Endangered. Over the past 100 years, wild tiger population numbers have dropped by 95 percent. Three tiger sub-species — Bali, Caspian and Javan — have become extinct with a fourth, the Chinese tiger, drastically close to extinction.
Diet: In the wild, tigers consume deer, wild boar, wild cattle or other large carnivores
Breeding: In the wild, mating season happens throughout the year, although it may peak around November to March. After a gestation period of around 103 days, litters of around two or three tiger cubs are born to a tigress. For the next 6-8 weeks, cubs live only on their mother's milk before being introduced to meat. Cubs typically leave their mother's territory anywhere from a 1.5 to 3 years of age, but females tend to stay closer to their mother's range.
Size/physical appearance: Tigers have reddish-orange to yellow-ochre coats with black stripes and a white belly.
Existing Tiger Subspecies:
- Bengal — Critically Endangered
- Chinese (South China) — Critically Endangered
- Indochinese — Endangered
- Malayan — Critically Endangered
- Siberian (Amur) — Critically Endangered
- Sumatran — Critically Endangered
Threats: Over-hunting for sport probably caused the greatest decline in tiger populations up until the 1930s. By the early 1990s, illegal trade in tiger bones for traditional medicines threatened to drive tigers to extinction. Tiger bones, believed to contain high medicinal properties, are popular in Asian black markets. Thanks to increased conservation efforts, trade control and promotion of tiger bone substitutes, tiger-based medicines are now less accessible. Tigers are protected throughout their range, and international trade in tiger parts and derivatives is currently illegal. However, poaching persistently feeds continuing demand for various tiger body parts, with skins now appearing as the major form of trade.
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