The tiger is the largest of all the cats and weighs up to 300 kg. Every tiger has a different pattern of stripes and it is possible to recognise individual tigers by these patterns, just like the human thumbprint! It usually does not climb trees but is capable of doing so. It has been reported to cover up to 10m in a horizontal leap. It likes water and swims easily, both for travelling and hunting or just to cool off. It usually rests in the day, only looks for food at night. Tigers may become man-eaters only when they are too sick or old to hunt their usual prey. Tigers will only confront a human when the human invades the tiger’s territory, especially if it has young.
The Malayan tiger lives in Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It has a high tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions, as it only requires adequate cover, water and prey. It is found in forests, swamps, grasslands and rocky countries. Within its territory, a tiger may have one or two favoured dens which are located in places such as caves, hollow trees and dense vegetation.
