Tiger

Scientific name: Panthera tigris

Origin: Asia

Size: 1.4-2.8m (depending on subspecies)

Diet: Carnivore

IUCN status: Endangered

Threats: Poaching for fur, illegal trade of its parts for use in traditional medicine, loss of habitat to human developments

Zoos I have seen them: Sumatran tigers in Dublin, Belfast (both gone), Fota, Welsh Mountain Zoo, Chester, Chessington World of Adventures, Edinburgh and London. Amur tigers in Dublin, Emerald Park, Munich (?) and Highland Wildlife Park

Interesting fact: The tiger is one of the few cat species that can swim. This dispels the myth that cats dislike water. Other water-loving cats include the jaguar (Panthera onca) and the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus).