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Animals

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A-Z

Siberian Tiger

Panthera tigris altaica

Many conservation programs have been
established to save the critically endangered Siberian tiger,
whose numbers have dwindled to mere hundreds in the
wild.

Photograph by Joel
Sartore

Siberian Tiger Profile

Siberian (or Amur) tigers are the world's largest
cats. They live primarily in eastern Russia's birch
forests, though some exist in China and North Korea.
There are an estimated 400 to 500 Siberian tigers living
in the wild, and recent studies suggest that these
numbers are stable. Though their northern climate is far
harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have
some advantages. Northern forests offer the lowest human
density of any tiger habitat, and the most complete
ecosystem. The vast woodlands also allow tigers far more
room to roam, as Russia's timber industry is currently
less extensive than that of many other
countries.

Tigers are the largest of all wild
cats and are renowned for their power and strength.
There were once eight tiger subspecies, but three became
extinct during the 20th century. Over the last 100
years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced
overall tiger populations from hundreds of thousands to
perhaps 5,000 to 7,000. Tigers are hunted as trophies
and also for body parts that are used in traditional
Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies
are endangered, and many protection programs are in
place. Poaching is a reduced—but still very
significant—threat to Siberian tigers.

Tigers
live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories
to keep their rivals away. They are powerful hunters
that travel many miles to find prey, such as elk and
wild boar, on nocturnal hunts. Tigers use their
distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the
same stripes) and hunt by stealth. They lie in wait and
creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick
spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as
much as 60 pounds (27.2 kilograms) in one night, though
they usually eat less.

Despite their fearsome
reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do
become dangerous maneaters. These animals are often sick
and unable to hunt normally, or live in areas where
their traditional prey has vanished.

Females give
birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise
with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt
until they are 18 months old, and remain with their
mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to
find their own territory.

Fast Facts

Type: Mammal

Diet: Carnivore

Size: 10.75 ft (3.3 m)

Weight: 660 lbs (300 kg)

Protection status: Endangered

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m)
man:

Multimedia

Photo
Gallery: Tigers

Siberian Tiger Printable Factsheet

Video:
Siberian Tiger

Big Cat Features

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between the Himalaya Mountains and the lowlands of India
in this feature.

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Kids:
Cyber Tiger

You're a zookeeper about to get a very special
delivery—a six-year-old Siberian tiger!

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Silent
as Silk

Follow in the footsteps of Tjololo, a young leopard
patrolling his massive territory in South Africa's Mala
Mala Game Reserve in this multimedia feature.

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Big
Cats Quiz

How much do you know about lions, tigers, jaguars,
and other wild felines? Take the Big Cats challenge and
find out!

Start
Quiz

How You Can Help

Smithsonian
National Zoological Park: Tigers

World
Wildlife Fund: Tigers

Other Big Cats

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Tiger

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