Where do tigers live?

Tigers are found in amazingly diverse habitats: rain forests, grasslands, savannas and even mangrove swamps. Unfortunately, 93% of historical tiger lands have disappeared primarily because of expanding human activity. Saving tigers means saving forests that are vital to the health of the planet. You can help by taking action to save tiger forests.

Where do tigers live?

You probably know that tigers live in jungles, and you may know that some come from India, but do you know that there eight distinct races of tiger scattered throughout Asia? The tiger ranges from Iran to Turkestan, Mongolia, Siberia and Korea. It is also found throughout India, Tibet, China, Thailand and Indo-China. Some even reach as far as the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Java.

However, throughout this huge geographical range the tiger is very rare. Hunting and persecution by farmers, as well as destruction of its habitat as forests are cleared for farming, has meant that the tiger is now an endangered species in the wild. Strict conservation measures are in force to help preserve its remaining numbers and habitat, and to try and ensure that it is no longer hunted for sport.

How many subspecies of tiger are there?

There are two subspecies of tiger, commonly referred to as the continental tiger and the Sunda island tiger. All remaining island tigers are found only in Sumatra, with tigers in Java and Bali now extinct. These are popularly known as Sumatran tigers. The continental tigers currently include the Bengal, Malayan, Indochinese, and Amur (Siberian) tiger populations, while the Caspian tiger is extinct in the wild. The South China tiger is believed to be functionally extinct. These tigers need our help. Every part of the tiger, from whisker to tail, is traded in illegal wildlife markets. WWF is urging governments to strengthen law enforcement, invest in more boots on the ground, and commit to long-term demand reduction efforts to stop wildlife crime.

How much do tigers weigh?

Tigers are the largest of all Asian big cats, weighing in at up to 660 pounds. The smallest of tiger subspecies—the Sumatran tiger—weighs about 310 pounds at most. Within each subspecies, the males are heavier than the females.