Research Paper

Joel Montiel

Mr. Skipper

Encounters 8

April 24, 2021

Terrifying Truth about Tigers

We humans share this planet with millions of species of animals. We share some of the same resources and habitats with them too. Sadly though some of these beloved animals are going extinct, such as the tigers that roam the wild. The extinction of tigers can seriously mess up the ecosystem’s food chain. They are becoming endangered and are going extinct for no good reason. Whilst they are dangerous, it does not give a reason for people not to love and care for them. It will be devastating if one day the news shows that there are no more tigers in the world. Humans are the ones causing their problems and we are also the only ones that can save them. Saving the tiger species is something that people should seriously look into, for they are special and valuable creatures to our world.

Description

Tigers are really big and fascinating organisms. The scientific name for a tiger is “panthera tigris”. Tigers, as you may know, are much like house cats except they are much larger and deadly. Tigers have black or dark vertical and wavy stripes on top of their orange fur. Their underside is lighter or white underside (Dacres). Sometimes instead of orange, tigers can even be all white with dark stripes! Their look is quite remarkable and distinct. The males of this ferocious species weigh from 220

pounds up to 680 pounds (Smola). The furious female tigers usually weigh 140 to 370 pounds (Tiger Fact Sheet). The length of a tiger ranges from 6 to around 10 feet long measuring from the head to the tip of its tail. The size of tigers usually depends on where it is from. Nonetheless tigers are huge and dangerous predators that should not be messed with.

Habitat

Tigers naturally only live in Asia. To be more specific, there are exclusively thirteen countries in the world tigers naturally live in today (13 Countries Where You Might Find Tigers). Tigers that are not in Asia were most likely moved there for different

reasons both good and bad. Tigers live in various kinds of habitats, from savanas, grasslands, to rainforests (Where Do Tigers Live? And Other Tiger Facts). Some subspecies of tigers like the Siberian tiger live in colder and snowy habitats. Sadly only 5% of areas that tigers used to live in decades ago are able to inhabit tigers now. This is because of humans destroying their habitat for their own benefit. Their habitats get destroyed for agriculture, timber, and to build more infrastructures. Some people are attempting to put a stop to this, but others are careless and choose to make it worse (Tiger). In their habitat, tigers have the adaptation of camouflage with their fur blending in with the savanna grass. Another adaptation is their incredible hearing and sight (Tiger Adaptations: Lesson for kids). This helps them know the location of a predator or prey despite all of the tall grass around them. Their body seems to be perfect for dominating in their environment. In these habitats tigers can live up to 26 years (Where Do Tigers Live? And Other Tiger Facts).

Reproduction

The tiger population is quite small and is not at the desired number, so tigers must repopulate and we must keep them from dying out. Tigers usually are able to start mating once they are 3-5 years old. It will take around 16 weeks for the mother to give birth to her litter. When pregnant, the mother tiger will prepare a safe and secluded area like a cave or a grassland so it can give birth there. The litter will usually consist of 3 or 4 cubs, but it is possible for a litter to have up to 7 cubs. Sadly though, only half of the cubs born will live to be a grown adult (Meyer, ¨Tigers Birth And Care Of The Young¨). The cubs are born with their eyes closed so they rely solely on their mother until their eyes open up in six to twelve days (Birth and Care of Young). She doesn’t leave them unattended until two months have passed. The mother is alone in raising the cubs until they don’t need milk and can hunt on their own.

Food

Tigers are carnivores, meaning they only eat meat. They eat different kinds of deers, wild pigs or boar, antelope, water buffalo, and sometimes rodents. Tigers are also not afraid to attack baby elephants and rhinos too (Meyer, ¨Tigers Diet¨). Tigers have big, heavy, strong, and athletic bodies which allow them to successfully attack nearly any animal they go after. Tigers use their advanced hearing and sense of sight to find and catch their prey (Diet and Eating Habits). They creep up closely from out of sight then strike a bite to the neck so they can take the prey down. Tigers almost always hunt alone. Once the tiger kills its prey it then takes it to a safe spot where it can finish eating. Animals that can kill tigers are groups of elephants, buffalos or bears. If a tiger is killed by another animal it is most likely because the tiger is sick. Unfortunately tigers are most likely to be killed by humans more than any other animal. Humans kill them to protect themselves, their livestock, or to harvest their skin, fur, bones, or teeth (Tiger). It is a real shame that people kill them like it is nothing, but some groups and organizations are working to prevent this.

Issues

The tiger population over time is quite heartbreaking to look at. Over the course of one hundred years it has majorly dropped compared to a lot of other species. Over time tigers have been losing their lives and habitats because of the actions of humans. People carelessly destroy tiger habitats to construct their own buildings or living spaces (Tiger). Tigers are then forced to find a new habitat and new group of prey to eat. Although there is a lot of space on earth, tigers still have a lot of trouble finding a habitat because of people closing in on their area. When finding food and a new habitat tigers tend to eat farmers' livestock. Farmers and communities also depend on the livestock, so then they try to kill or capture the tigers. There are around 3,500 tigers in the wild, and around more than 8,000 tigers on farms or in captivity (Tiger). The tigers on farms are there to breed and to illegally sell as products or their body parts. Tigers are also sometimes killed for no particular reason other than it gives the person joy. Whilst there are no tiger farms in the United States, just about 5,000 tigers are held captive here which is much more than there are in their original home in the wild (Shutting Down

Tiger Farms). These tigers are usually taken advantage of and are meant for entertaining people at animal amusement parks, but these places sometimes start doing illegal and harmful things with tigers too. A lot of work needs to be done all over the world. With these facts it is no surprise that tigers are officially listed to be endangered and need help. If the tiger species situation is to continue like this then tigers will be gone before you know it.

Preservation Plan/Conclusion

Extinction of tigers in an area or in the world will not only affect other animals and plants, but it will also affect people. Without humans, tigers are the top dog of the food chain or web that they are in. They maintain the population of the lower animals and make sure it doesn't get out of hand. Sometimes farmers and communities may kill a tiger if they eat their livestock, but the absence of tigers can leave other problems for them. The population of the animals tigers eat will grow without them. These animals can also get into the farms and eat their crops. The loss of tigers in a web can have a domino or butterfly effect on other food chains or webs too. Tigers going away will grow their prey's population. As their population grows, it will then cause what organisms that they consume to then decrease. Eventually by overpopulation they will force themselves to starvation and will have to move or die out like the tigers. Tigers hold a vital role in this world and their ecosystem, and without them it would be devastating. Luckily though, there are some animal loving organizations dedicated to saving and helping tigers (Tiger). These organizations are rebuilding habitats, finding new ones, and providing safety for them. Many citizens like to take part and volunteer with these organizations too. People work hard and sacrifice a piece of time to help these beloved animals. It is also very helpful to donate to these trusting organizations. A fight is going on to have stricter laws for tigers. These organizations communicate with governments about enforcing and making laws to protect tigers (Govt Has Taken Several Measures To Protect Tiger Habitats:Vardhan). Despite the thousands of people who care about tigers, their situation is still not looking the best. It needs some work but it is not over until it is over. As long as we keep fighting there is still a chance for tigers to thrive.

Works Cited

“Birth and Care of Young.” SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, seaworld.org/animals/all-about/tiger/care-of-young Access date 10 April 2021.

Dacres, Kevin. "Panthera tigris." Animal Diversity Web, 2007, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pantheratigris Access date 08 Feb 2021.

“Diet and Eating Habits.” SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, seaworld.org/animals/all-about/tiger/diet Access date 21 Feb 2021.

¨Govt Has Taken Several Measures To Protect Tiger Habitats:Vardhan.¨ Business Standard, business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/govt-has-taken-several-measures-to-protect-tiger-habitats Access Date 30 April 2021.

Meyer, Amelia “Tigers Birth And Care Of The Young.” Tigers.org.za, 2013 tigers.org.za/birth-and-care-of-the-young Access date 09 April 2021.

---. “Tigers Diet.” Tigers.org.za, 1 Jan. 1970, www.tigers.org.za/tigers-diet.html Access date 23 Feb 2021.

“Shutting Down Tiger Farms.” WorldWildlife, worldwildlife.org/projects/shutting-down-tiger-farms Access date 24 Apr 2021.

“Tiger.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, worldwildlife.org/species/tiger Access date 23 Feb 2021.

“Tiger Adaptations: Lesson For Kids.” Study.com, 10 Nov. 2020, study.com/academy/lesson/tiger-adaptations-lesson-for-kids Access date 21 Feb 2021.

“Tiger fact sheet.” PBS, 29 July. 2020, pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/tiger-fact-sheet Access date 08 Feb 2021.

“Tigers.” U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, fws.gov/international/animals/tigers Access date 21 Apr 2021.

Smola, Travis. “How much tigers weigh and other interesting striped cat facts.” WideOpenSpaces (2020, April 03). wideopenspaces.com/how-much-tigers-weigh-and-other-interesting-striped-cat-facts Access date 08 Feb 2021.

“Where Do Tigers Live? And Other Tiger Facts.” World Wildlife Fund, 2021, worldwildlife.org/stories/where-do-tigers-live-and-other-tiger-facts Access date 08 Feb 2021.

“13 Countries Where You Might Find Tigers.” World Wildlife Fund, July 27, 2018, wwf.ca/stories/13-countries-wild-tigers/ Access date 08 Feb 2021.