Tiger Species

Nothing is as naturally iconic and powerful as a tiger. The black stripes contrast their golden orange fur in a way that is intimidating and alluring all at once, but all of their beauty and ferocity have left the tiger species in an endangered state.

The common name, Tiger, is actually the species name and beneath it exists nine tiger subspecies. People commonly group these tiger species into the continental tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and the Sunda island tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica). The continental tiger group exists only on the mainland and has a tendance to be almost double the weight of its island cousins. This group includes the Amur (Siberian) tiger, Bengal tiger, Indochinese tiger, Malayan tiger, South China tiger, and Caspian tiger.

All of the continental tiger subspecies are considered to be endangered, with experts believing that the Caspian tiger is extinct in the wild and the South China tiger is functionally extinct. Both of these statements mean that it would be impossible for these two tiger subspecies to bounce back from the brink of extinction in the wild.

The Sunda island tiger is no luckier than its continental counterparts. Of the three tiger subspecies that have originated on the island, two have gone extinct and only one remains in a state of endangerment, the Sumatran tiger. Despite being apex predators, the Bali and Javan tigers were the first subspecies to succumb to the pressures of human civilization.

These animals are known to inhabit forests, mangrove swamps, grasslands, and even savannahs, so their interactions with humans are inevitable. Habitat loss, poaching, the exotic pet trade, and killing out of fear or retaliation are all man-made pressures that have significantly lowered the wild tiger population to an estimated 3,800. As the human population continues to grow and advance it is important to spread information about tigers and their specific subspecies. The more humans understand, the more they will care to protect this majestic big cat in its natural habitats.