Did You Know?
The Chinese name for the Red Panda is "hunho" or firefox.
Amur Tiger
Characteristics
The Amur tiger is the largest of all wild cats. Its orange coloring is paler than other tigers and stripes are brown rather than black and are widely spaced compared to other tigers. It has a white chest and belly, and a thick, white ruff of fur around its neck. In the winter, its coat grows long and shaggy to adapt to the change in temperature.
Behavior
Except for a mother with cubs, Amur tigers are solitary animals. Amur tigers live in specific territories called home ranges and indicate their territories mainly by scent marking on trees, bushes, and the ground along the borders. They also often mark trees by scratching with their huge claws. Tigers are good swimmers and enjoy taking a bath in ponds or rivers. As poaching and habitat destruction take their tolls, it’s estimated that only 400-500 Amur tigers remain in the wild.
Did You Know?
- As nocturnal hunters, they stalk their prey by sneaking up to within 65 ft, then covering the remaining distance in just a few bounds.
- Male home ranges are large, sometimes 400 square miles and are occupied by a single male!
Our Animals
Our female tiger Nikka arrived at PPZ in 2009, and was born in Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo. Sivaki, our male, was born right here at PPZ in 2005. In September 2011, Nikka gave birth to three cubs who are named Kira, Savelii, and Ameliya! The cubs are now on exhibit inside the Feline Primate House.
Gallery
Video
Scientific Name
Panthera tigris altaica
Conservation Status
IUCN: Critically Endangered
Size
Amur tigers can grow to be up to 12 feet in length from their nose to the tip of their tail, and they can weigh in at a massive 700 pounds!
Average Lifespan
15 years in the wild, and up to 20 years in captivity.
Wild Diet
Tigers hunt many types of prey, but the favorites are deer and wild boar.
Amur tigers mainly make their home in the Amur-Ussuri region of Siberia along the coast of Russia
