# Tiger — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Panthera tigris (subspecies P. t. sondaica, P. t. jacksoni)*

> A tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species, a striped, solitary carnivore native to Asia; the Sumatran tiger of Indonesia and the Malayan tiger of Malaysia are two of the most endangered surviving populations, both listed as Critically Endangered.

**IUCN status:** Species Endangered (IUCN 2022); Sumatran and Malayan tigers both Critically Endangered  ·  **WARN range:** Indonesia, Malaysia

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Lifespan | ~10–15 years wild; up to ~20 in managed care |
| Weight (Sumatran) | Males ~100–140 kg; females ~75–110 kg |
| Length | ~2.2–2.5 m head-and-body (Sumatran subspecies) |
| Diet | Carnivore — mainly wild boar and deer |
| Gestation | ~100 days (roughly 93–112) |
| Young per birth | Usually 2–4 cubs (1–7 possible) |
| Top speed | ~49–65 km/h over short bursts |
| Baby name | Cub |
| Group name | A streak or an ambush of tigers |
| CITES | Appendix I (commercial trade prohibited) |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Carnivora
- **Family:** Felidae
- **Genus:** Panthera
- **Species:** Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758)
- **Subspecies (covered here):** P. t. sondaica (Sumatran tiger) and P. t. jacksoni (Malayan tiger)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Critically Endangered (Sumatran tiger P. t. sondaica and Malayan tiger P. t. jacksoni); species Panthera tigris assessed Endangered (IUCN 2022)
- **Population:** Fewer than 600 wild Sumatran tigers; roughly 80–120 mature Malayan tigers (IUCN)
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2022 (species); Malayan subspecies assessed 2015
- **CITES:** Appendix I
- The umbrella species is listed as Endangered, but several subspecies, including the two in WARN's range countries, are Critically Endangered, so a single species badge understates their risk.

## Key facts: Tiger
- The tiger is the world's largest cat species; the Sumatran tiger is the smallest surviving tiger subspecies.
- Both the Sumatran tiger (Indonesia) and the Malayan tiger (Malaysia) are listed as Critically Endangered.
- The whole species Panthera tigris is assessed as Endangered by the IUCN (2022), but several subspecies are far closer to extinction.
- Fewer than 600 Sumatran tigers and roughly 80–120 mature Malayan tigers are thought to survive in the wild.
- Tigers are solitary, territorial ambush hunters that prey mainly on wild boar and deer.
- Poaching for illegal trade, habitat loss to plantations, and prey depletion are the main threats driving their decline.

## Why tigers are endangered
Tigers once ranged across much of Asia, but have lost the great majority of their historic range and now occupy fragmented pockets of forest. The Sumatran tiger survives only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where lowland rainforest has been cleared at speed for oil-palm and acacia pulp plantations, isolating tigers in shrinking habitat patches. The Malayan tiger, confined to peninsular Malaysia, has collapsed from thousands of animals in the mid-twentieth century to an estimated 80–120 mature individuals, driven largely by intensive snaring and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. Because both populations are small and fragmented, each loss matters enormously, which is why the IUCN classes both as Critically Endangered even though the species as a whole is listed as Endangered.

## Behaviour and ecology
Tigers are solitary and strongly territorial, with individuals patrolling large home ranges marked by scent and scratch marks. They are ambush predators that hunt mainly at night, relying on stalking and a powerful rush rather than long pursuit, since they can only sprint over short distances. Wild boar and various deer make up the bulk of the diet, supplemented by smaller mammals and occasionally larger prey. Females raise cubs alone: after a gestation of roughly 100 days they give birth to a litter of typically two to four cubs, which stay with their mother for around two years while they learn to hunt. Unusually among big cats, tigers are strong swimmers and readily enter water to cool off or cross rivers.

## Threats and what rescue involves
The most acute threat is poaching: tigers are killed for their skins, bones and other body parts traded illegally across Asia, and even small numbers of losses can push a tiny population toward collapse. Wire snares set in the forest are a particular danger, maiming or killing tigers and their prey indiscriminately. Habitat loss and the depletion of prey animals compound the problem, and tigers that stray into farmland can be killed in retaliation after attacks on livestock. On-the-ground rescue and protection work focuses on anti-poaching and snare-removal patrols, rapid response to human-tiger conflict, rehabilitation of injured or orphaned tigers, and protection of the forest corridors that connect isolated populations.

## Sumatran vs Malayan vs mainland tigers
| Feature | Sumatran tiger | Malayan tiger | Mainland (e.g. Bengal/Amur) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Subspecies | P. t. sondaica | P. t. jacksoni | P. t. tigris |
| Range | Sumatra, Indonesia | Peninsular Malaysia | India, Russia and mainland Asia |
| IUCN status | Critically Endangered | Critically Endangered | Endangered (species level) |
| Wild numbers | Fewer than 600 | ~80–120 mature | Several thousand combined |
| Size | Smallest surviving subspecies | Small to mid-sized | Largest (Amur is biggest of all) |
| Key threat | Plantation habitat loss, poaching | Snaring and poaching | Habitat loss, conflict, poaching |

## What WARN does
The World Animal Rescue Network (WARN CIC) is a registered global not-for-profit animal welfare organisation that funds local partner shelters, sanctuaries and rescue teams in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and Colombia. Two of those countries, Indonesia and Malaysia, are exactly where the Critically Endangered Sumatran and Malayan tigers make their last stand, so tigers sit squarely within our funded focus. We channel support to frontline partners working on anti-poaching patrols, snare removal, conflict response and the care of injured or orphaned tigers, and pair that with wider public education about the illegal wildlife trade that drives the killing. We are honest about our stage and scale: our role is to fund and amplify trusted local teams in our range countries rather than to run tiger reserves ourselves.

Indonesia and Malaysia are both World Animal Rescue Network range countries, so a gift to the Tiger Appeal helps fund the local partner teams pulling snares, responding to conflict and caring for injured tigers where Sumatran and Malayan tigers make their last stand.

## Frequently asked questions: Tiger
### How many tigers are left in the wild?
Globally a few thousand wild tigers survive. Among the most endangered populations, fewer than 600 Sumatran tigers remain in Indonesia, and the IUCN estimates only about 80–120 mature Malayan tigers survive in Malaysia.

### Why are Sumatran and Malayan tigers endangered?
Both are driven toward extinction mainly by poaching for the illegal wildlife trade, the spread of snares, loss of forest habitat to plantations, and depletion of the wild prey they depend on.

### How big is a tiger?
Tigers are the largest cats on Earth. Sumatran tigers, the smallest surviving subspecies, reach about 2.2–2.5 m in length and weigh roughly 100–140 kg for males and 75–110 kg for females.

### What do tigers eat?
Tigers are carnivores that hunt mainly large ungulates such as wild boar and deer, and will also take smaller mammals and other prey when available.

### How long do tigers live?
Wild tigers usually live around 10–15 years, while tigers in managed care can live up to about 20 years.

### What is a baby tiger called?
A baby tiger is called a cub. Litters are typically two to four cubs after a gestation of around 100 days, and the cubs stay with their mother for about two years.

### Are tigers dangerous to people?
Tigers generally avoid humans, but they are powerful predators and conflict can occur where forest and farmland meet, especially when prey is scarce; such encounters sometimes lead to tigers being killed in retaliation.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Panthera tigris (2022, Endangered)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15955/214862019)
- [IUCN Red List — Malayan tiger (P. t. jacksoni)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136893/50665029)
- [CITES — Appendices (Panthera tigris, Appendix I)](https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php)
- [Smithsonian's National Zoo — Tiger](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/tiger)
- [WWF — Tiger species overview](https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger)
- [Goodrich et al. (2022), Panthera tigris IUCN assessment (PDF)](https://images.assettype.com/ncfindia/2022-09/af66cf19-429a-4df5-8332-5de974587ff2/Goodrich_et_al____2022__RedList.pdf)

---
Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/tiger