All information about the tiger

What species of tigers are there?

The tiger belongs to the genus Panthera from the feline family, Felidae. There are several subspecies of the tiger:

• Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)

• Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

• Chinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti)

• Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)

• Northern Indian tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis)

• Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni)

Unfortunately, several subspecies of tiger are also already extinct. These include the Balinese tiger, Javan tiger and Caspian tiger. In Safaripark Beekse Bergen lives the subspecies the Amur tiger.

White tigers

Many think that the white tiger is also a subspecies of tiger. This is not the case. The white tiger was created by a mutation in the genes of the Bengal tiger. Mutation in the genes? This means that the white color in their fur is caused by an abnormality in their DNA. As a result, they do not get the orange-like color that the tiger normally has. The white tiger is not an albino. In fact, it has black stripes and blue eyes.

In Safaripark Beekse Bergen you will find the Amur tigers, or Siberian tigers. The tiger enclosure is at the back of the park, near the Kongorestaurant. Will you come visit them too?

What does a tiger look like?

The tiger, of course, is known for its beautiful fur. Its orange fur with black stripes is not to be missed. Its large head, chest and belly are white and it also has large white whiskers. The tiger belongs to the carnivores, which means it eats animal material, such as meat. You can clearly see this in its teeth. This is because it consists of canines, incisors and incisor teeth. Tigers have the longest canines of any large feline. They are as much as between 7.5 and 10 centimeters long!

But does a tiger have stripes under its fur? Ranger Jannah finds out for you in the video below.

Where do tigers live?

In the wild, tigers live only in Asia. In which part of Asia tigers live differs per subspecies. For example, the Amur tiger currently lives in the Amur region of Russia. Many people also know the Amur tiger as the Siberian tiger. Because this species lives only in the Amur region, it has been given the name Amur tiger.

How heavy is a tiger?

The Amur tiger is the largest species of tiger. This also makes it the heaviest tiger species. A female tiger can weigh between 110 and 170 pounds. A male, however, weighs a lot heavier. A male can weigh between 190 and 400 pounds! Amur tigers have a thick layer of fat and dense fur that makes them well destined for the harsh cold in their habitat.

What kind of sound does a tiger make?

Amur tigers use scent markings, different postures, as well as different types of sounds as communication. For example, a tiger makes a roaring sound. With a roar, a tiger wants to let it know that it is in charge of that area. This roar can be heard for miles around!

Reproduction of tigers

Amur tigers can have young throughout the year. The Amur tiger lives solitary. The male and female come together only to mate. When a female wants to mate, she leaves tracks in her territory. These may be scratch marks on the trees or leaving her urine behind.

Once the female and male have found each other, mating begins. A tiger's gestation period is about 3.5 months and an average of two to four cubs are born.

What do tigers eat?

Tigers are true carnivores! The Amur tiger is the largest species of tiger and cat in the world and therefore can kill animals that are sometimes two or three times heavier than itself. Therefore, a tiger can drag away prey that takes as many as five people! It can swallow as much as forty pounds of meat in one go. They hunt mostly at night. It sneaks up on its prey and when it is close enough, it jumps on its prey and bites the prey on its neck. In this way, he tries to suffocate his prey. After his prey is dead, the tiger drags it to a hiding place. If the tiger has leftovers, he hides them and comes back later to eat it. This allows him to eat the meat for several days. Clever isn't it?

Unfortunately, only one out of 10 to 20 hunting attempts succeed. In Safaripark Beekse Bergen, the tigers do not suffer from this! Here, of course, the tigers don't have to hunt. Ranger Robert takes you to the tigers to find out exactly what tigers eat in a zoo.

Is the tiger endangered?

Unfortunately, all tigers are endangered. It is estimated that the population of the Amur tiger is between 2,000 and 3,000 adult tigers and this number is still declining. The biggest threats are tiger hunting and habitat disappearance. Many parts of the tiger are used as medicine. Traditional Asian medicine believes the tiger parts contain medicinal properties. Research has shown that this is not the case at all. Habitat disappearance is caused by illegal logging, conversion of forest to farmland, road building and forest fires. In the last 100 years, as much as 93% of the tiger's habitat has disappeared!

The role of zoos is to preserve and protect of endangered species. European parks work closely together to achieve this goal and do so with an management program (EEP). The amur tiger is also part of this. This is how a healthy reserve population is maintained. Find out more about species conservation and our role here here.

Conservation

Not only tigers, but many of the species you see in our park are endangered and struggling in their original habitats. Did you know that worldwide more than 4,000 animal species threatened with extinction are endangered? Together we can help them, with big, or small steps. Want to know how? Then click here.

Wildlife Foundation

The Wildlife Foundation supports Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). In 2008, WCS established a program to combat poaching in officially protected areas. In addition to tracking down poachers, WCS also talks with one of the largest logging companies to close their roads. These roads across Amur tiger habitat make it easier for poachers to enter the areas. Nine of these logging roads have now been closed. Want to know more about the Wildlife Foundation? Then click here.

Tiger cubs

When the cubs are born, they are completely blind. For the first few weeks, the mother stays close to her cubs. After six to fourteen days, the eyes open. When the cubs are about two months old, they follow their mother and already begin eating solid food. At about five to six months of age, the cubs begin to hunt. The cubs still have much to learn from their mother such as how to stalk, pounce and kill their prey. Thus, the cubs stay with their mother for as much as eighteen months to three years!

Real swimmers!

Tigers are not averse to a little water. In fact, unlike other felines, tigers can often be found in the water! They are very good swimmers. They can easily cross a river up to eight kilometers wide. Now that's what you call real swimmers! Tigers can also climb well with their strong legs and sharp claws.

Only for the real career tigers!

Always wanted to work in a zoo? Beekse Bergen is more than just a zoo, it is a truly unique working environment. Within the Beekse Bergen we have many different positions and opportunities. Whether you would like to work full-time, part-time or as a part-time job, at our zoo or at one of our Lake Resort we can really use your help and we would love to add you to our teams! So are you looking for a nice job in a unique working environment, for example in hospitality, guest service or do you like working in one of our other departments? Then check out the vacancies now or leave your details through an open application and one thing is for sure, together we will deliver our guests the most enjoyable time!