The Tiger

Purrr-fect Cats

      Can you guess what the largest cat species in the world is? You'd be close if you said lions, but if you guessed Amur tigers-congratulations, you're right! At 300 to 500 pounds, Amur tigers are the world's biggest cats, complete with massive front legs and shoulders, strong jaws, and sharp teeth. Unfortunately, these magnificent and beautiful cats are critically endangered, and there are more of them in zoos than in the wild. For this reason, breeding tigers in zoos is so important-it might save the species from extinction!

      Amur tigers used to be called Siberian tigers because it was thought that they lived in a small part of the Siberian region of eastern Russia. Now they are known as Amur tigers to more accurately describe where they live (in the wilds of China, Russia, Siberia, and Manchuria).

      Here are some terrific tiger facts you might not have known before. Did you know that every tiger has its own unique pattern of stripes? Much like our fingerprints, these stripes can be used to identify an individual cat. Tigers also have an excellent sense of smell. In the wild, tigers follow scent trails to find food. You might be aware that tigers can roar, but they don't do this very often. Their preferred greeting is a "chuff" (a noise just like the word sounds-try it!). Finally, tigers can go days between meals. In the wild, they might eat 100 pounds of meat in one night-that's like four or five hundred hamburgers! They hunt large prey, such as deer, wild goats, sheep, and even bears.

Contents are courtesy of the Chicago Zoological Society, which operates Brookfield Zoo.