If you ask people do tigers live in Africa, the answer would probably be ‘Of Course’. Well, this is a wrong answer! Tigers never lived in Africa; they are found in a different continent, Asia. Although they belong to the family of Felidae which also includes lions and leopards, and they also share common ancestor but tiger had never shared habitats or distribution with these big cats.
It might have happened that a single offshoot of Felidae migrated toward Asia around two million years ago and those cats could have emerged as orange-white cats which we know today.
Once inhabited Africa, tigers never went back to Africa. Scientists do not understand precisely what happened in the past that made tigers to stay in Asia.
Do Tigers Live in Africa
- Tigers do not live in the wild in Africa but they are found in zoos, national parks or special reserves where they’re raised in captivity. Sadly though tigers are running out of their numbers and they’re in danger of becoming extinct in the wild.
- They are highly endangered in Indonesia, Russia, Nepal, China, and India due to extreme hunting, habitat loss, poaching, and scarcity of its prey. Currently, there are no more than 3,000 tigers surviving in the wild, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). In the United States, 5,000 tigers are held in captivity that protects them from illegal poaching.
- People shoot these cats for tiger’s coats, and also they cut down the forests to sell logs. Because of this much exploitation, tigers are at the verge of extinction and there are less than 200 Siberian tigers; 600 Sumatran tigers; and 30 to 60 south china tigers remaining in the wild.
See also: Where Do Bengal Tigers Live
Tigers Habitat
- Royal Bengals are greatest in population—one that is found in Myanmar, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. The Royal Bengal shows reddish-brown coat with the black stripes that run down to its chest. They also live in Sundarbans, India.
- Tigers mostly live in a mangrove swamp and are thought to kill few local people which is why they’re often shot by the native people. Generally tigers are not easy to spot even if they get closer to you because they camouflage themselves with coats.
- Tigers are the solitary animals but the tigress stays with her cubs for at least two to three years. It takes an absolute patience to find a tiger in the wild. Each species also moves around its territory regularly and they mark it by leaving its scent on rocks, trees, or bushes. This, indeed, convey other tigers about the territory being already marked by its counterpart.
- Tigers live near water and where prey is easily available. While the tigers mostly eat medium-sized mammals they also prey on small animals and birds.
Learn more: Where Do Bengal Tigers Live
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