Tigers are magnificent animals, and as their numbers dwindle, they become increasingly rare. The tiger in the video is a Sumatran tiger found at the Flamingo Zoo in the UK.
Most tigers live like this in captivity, and watching them play, eat and explore is common. As can be seen in the video, the tiger caught up to the meat hanging from the branch, leaped effortlessly onto the tree, quickly grabbed the meat and left. The Sumatran tiger is one of the smaller tigers, but can still leap about 25 feet on average.
Zoos allow people to see animals up close, even dangerous apex predators like the one in this video. Tigers have strong bodies, with muscular front and rear legs, so jumps like the one in this video are a piece of cake for them. The tiger’s hind legs are larger than the front legs, which can provide strong support and powerful jumping power.
Adult tigers are so powerful that they can leap 16 to 20 feet forward. While tigers may be the largest of the big cats, they are not the species with the highest jumps. Big cats like cougars are able to jump straight up over 18 feet, whereas tigers don’t jump up, they leap forward.
Where are the wild tigers?
Tigers were once abundant across Asia, but their numbers have declined by more than 95 percent due to habitat destruction and poaching. Currently, there are only about 8,000 to 10,000 tigers left in the world.
There are about 3,200 wild tigers, with the remaining 5,000 to 7,000 in captivity. Nearly 70 percent of wild tigers live in India alone, and there are about 5,000 captive tigers in the United States. The remaining wild tigers are found in the following thirteen countries:
- India
- China
- Russia
- Cambodia
- nepal
- Bhutan
- Bangladesh
- Myanmar
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Vietnam
- Thailand
While tigers aren’t animals you’d typically see in the wild, they live in a wide variety of habitats. They can be found in places like rainforests, savannahs, grasslands, and swamps. These big cats are native only to Asia, but can be found in zoos, rescues and other facilities around the world.
How strong is an adult tiger?
Tigers are the largest big cats in the world and as such are known for their strength. There are nine species of tigers in the world, but three have become extinct in the past century. The current six species have different sizes and strengths when they are fully grown.
Let’s take a look at each type of tiger and their average size and strength.
| species | Average weight | Average Bite Force (PSI) | average jump height |
|---|---|---|---|
| siberian tiger | 350 – 650 lbs. | 1,050 psi | 25 feet |
| Bengal tiger | 350 – 570 lbs. | 1,050 psi | 33 feet |
| Sumatran tiger | 180 – 300 lbs. | 1,050 psi | 25 feet |
| indochinese tiger | 250 – 450 lbs. | 1,050 psi | 20 feet |
| malayan tiger | 50 – 250 lbs. | 1,050 psi | 16 feet |
| south china tiger | 220 – 400 lbs | 1,050 psi | 20 feet |
next
- How many tigers are left in the world?
- Tiger Lifespan: How Long Do Tigers Live?
- Why did the Caspian tiger become extinct?
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
