tiger
A large wild cat with orange fur and black stripes.
A tiger is a massive wild cat with distinctive orange fur and black stripes. Tigers are the largest of all cats, with males weighing up to 600 pounds and measuring ten feet from nose to tail. They live in parts of Asia, from snowy Siberian forests to tropical jungles in India and Southeast Asia.
Tigers are solitary hunters with incredible strength and stealth. Unlike lions, who hunt in groups, a tiger stalks its prey alone, using its stripes as camouflage in tall grass and shadows. Those stripes work like natural camouflage, breaking up the tiger's outline so deer, wild pigs, and other prey don't spot it until it's too late. A tiger can leap 30 feet in a single bound and drag prey twice its own weight.
Sadly, tigers are endangered. About a century ago, around 100,000 tigers roamed Asia. Today, fewer than 4,000 remain in the wild, threatened by habitat loss and poaching. Conservation efforts are working to protect these magnificent animals.
The word tiger also describes someone fierce and determined. A tiger in sports or business is someone who competes with intensity and won't back down. When you tackle a challenge with courage and strength, you're showing your inner tiger.