The largest member of the feline family, tigers originally inhabited a vast region of land all the way from Turkey throughout South and Southeast Asia to the far eastern shore of the continent. Today, they are found only in South and Southeast Asia, China and scattered parts of the far east of Russia. Tigers are mostly nocturnal and solitary in nature, only socializing during mating season. Interestingly, despite their large size and exceptional land hunting prowess, tigers are very good swimmers and have even been known to hunt in water.

Despite their beauty and iconic status, tigers are in great danger. Across their range tigers have been relentlessly massacred by poachers to the point of extinction or becoming endangered, depending on the species.

Originally there were nine subspecies of tigers, but over the last 80 years three have become completely extinct. The remaining six species of tigers are all considered endangered or critically endangered. The Bengal tiger, the most numerous of the subspecies, still only boasts a wild population of around 2,500.

If we don’t do something immediately to protect and preserve the remaining population, it has been predicted that all tigers may become extinct in the wild within the next decade. That is one of the reasons why passing strong anti-wildlife trafficking laws and tiger protections are so urgent.