"Prey can be so large and heavy that it would take 5 adult humans to move it. The tiger does this alone!"
Discover in real lifeHabitat:
eastern Russia and China, in forests
Food:
meat
Lifespan:
8 to 10 years
Weight:
female 110-170 kg and male 190-300 kg
Number of young:
1- 7 young
Gestation period:
3.5 months
IUCN status:
endangered
EEP:
yes
The Amur tiger is the largest feline in the world. Tigers are solitary and, like most felines, prefer to live alone. Males usually live in a larger habitat than females. They mark their habitat with scent by urinating everywhere, thus marking their territory. Tigers are the only felines with stripes. The stripes allow tigers to hide well in the forests they live in. This way, they do not stand out and can stalk and catch their prey unseen.
The Amur tiger lives in eastern Russia and China in vast and dense forests. Tigers have thick fur which makes them well adapted to the cold. Earlier, they also lived in much of Korea and China. In the 1940s, only an estimated twenty Amur tigers in the wild, this was due to the hunting of the tiger. Russia then worked to protect both the tiger and its prey animals, as a result of which some 400 to 500 Amur tigers now live in the wild again.
The Amur tiger is listed as endangered on the IUCN list. Tigers are hunted illegally for their fur but also because it is believed in many Asian countries that tiger body parts can be used as medicine. For example, the tail is thought to cure skin problems, tiger bones help with rheumatism, headaches and back pain, the teeth reduce fever and the claws reduce sleeplessness.
In EAZA zoos
~0 (0.00%)
In the wild
~450 (100.00%)
The Amur tigers at AquaZoo are part of the European Management Program (EEP). EEP stands for EAZA Ex situ Programs. An EEP has been developed for many animal species. This plan contains rules about feeding, housing and care of animals.
A coordinator has been chosen for each EEP. This person keeps records of one species and is responsible for the zoo population. For example, he manages a herd book that includes the zoo where an animal lives and the age, parents and grandparents of that animal. Together with a team, the coordinator advises on which animals may have offspring together and thus determines which parks they will move to. This maximizes the chances of healthy offspring and keeping the species alive. On signs at AquaZoo and on this website, you can recognize animals with an EEP by the logo of a rhino and her calf.
AquaZoo supports nearly thirty conservation projects around the world through the Wildlife Foundation. This includes helping the Amur tiger in the wild. Each year, the Wildlife Conservation Society receives a donation to help Amur tigers in Russia. WCS is working in eastern Russia to prevent or resolve human-tiger conflicts, conduct research and protect Amur tigers from illegal poaching.
Learn more about WCSLearn more about Stichting Wildlife