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Top 10 facts about Tigers

Discover more information about tigers, the issues and threats they are facing, and what you can do to help.

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Portrait of a young Royal Bengal tigress from Bandhavgarh National Park
© Suyash Keshari / WWF

1. Tigers have been around for quite a while

Tigers were around about 2 million years ago.

Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) Krishna in grass habitat, Ranthambhore, India.
© naturepl.com / Andy Rouse / WWF

2. However, thanks to humans, tigers are now endangered

Over the last 150 years, the tigers' range has shrunk by nearly 95%. In 2023, the Global Tiger Forum estimated that there are around 5,500 tigers left in the wild.

Close up of a tiger (Panthera tigris) laying on it's back.
© Richard Barrett / WWF-UK

3. Captive VS wild

There are more tigers in captivity in the US than are left in the wild. 

A tiger (Panthera tigris) resting in a watering hole.
© Richard Barrett / WWF-UK

4. India is the country with the largest number of wild tigers

Around 3,700 of the world's wild tigers are in India

A tiger in Bardia National Park, Nepal
© Emmanuel Rondeau / WWF-US

5. Silent hunters

Tigers have soft toe pads which help them walk silently through their habitat. A tiger will typically travel 6-12 miles during a night’s hunting. During the day, a tiger’s stripes can act as camouflage, allowing it to blend in with its surroundings for stalking and ambushing its prey.

Tiger chasing a deer in Ranthambhore national park, India
© Souvik Kundu / WWF

6. One main meal a week

Tigers primarily hunt deer, but as opportunistic predators, they can also eat wild boars, birds, fish, rodents, amphibians, reptiles, and even insects. A large deer can provide a tiger with one week's food, but only one out of every ten hunts is successful.

Portrait of a tiger
© Richard Barrett / WWF-UK

7. They’re protective over their kill

Tigers don't usually eat their prey at the kill site - but instead drag their prey into cover to feed. If a tiger leaves - say to get a drink - it will cover it's kill by raking leaves, dirt, grass and even rocks over the carcass. 

Bengal tiger
© Sanskar Khedekar

8. Chatty cats

The vocal repertoire of tigers is vast - they grunt, growl, roar, moan, snarl, chuff, hiss and gasp. It's thought that each vocalisation is used to communicate different things.

Yawning Tiger
© Tommy Mitchell

9. Rumour has it…

It's been said that tiger urine smells like buttered popcorn

Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) walking at night
© naturepl.com / Yashpal Rathore / WWF

10. WWF are working to protect the tiger

WWF’s goal is to help secure a viable future for wild tigers, with representation across their historic range, in coexistence with Indigenous Peoples and local communities​.

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