World Tiger Day, July 29

Written By: Aimee Turcotte
Zoo Educator
Tigers, typically found in 13 countries in Asia, are beautiful black and orange cats. Even though these animals are cats, they are strong predators with a powerful roar. Unfortunately, due to threats such as trafficking and habitat loss, tiger populations have declined significantly, by 97%. Now, these animals are listed as ‘endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Fortunately, through conservation work, some tiger populations in Asia have increased. 

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One Conservation Discovery Corps student mentioned to me that one of her favorite facts about tigers is that each one has its own unique stripe pattern. The stripes pattern on a tiger can even be seen on the skin. Zoologists typically look at a tiger’s stripes to identify different individuals. Additionally, the vibrancy of a tiger’s stripes can indicate the fitness of the animal. If a tiger’s stripes look faded, this animal may not be healthy. The stripes of Amur Tigers are fewer and paler than the stripes of other species of tigers. However, the paleness of these stripes is unique for this species and does not indicate a tiger’s lack of fitness unless the stripes are more faded than the normal for an Amur Tiger. 
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Tigers are excellent communicators, creating different sounds such as a hiss, growl, and gasp, to convey information. Roaring is produced for a variety of reasons, such as when females communicate with their young or when a tiger is hunting for prey. Tigers can also chuffle, a noise made through their nostrils, to calmly greet each other. These animals can even communicate non-verbally. Tigers can move their ears as a form of communication, whether they are announcing their presence, preparing to attack, or are retreating. The movement of a tiger’s tail can demonstrate the tiger’s mood. For instance, when calm, a tiger’s tail may be hanging loosely. However, when a tiger is feeling aggressive, the tail may move rapidly side to side. Furthermore, visual markings like scratches on trees or on the ground can be made by tigers to communicate when not near each other. Lastly, male and female tigers may make scent markings through urine or feces secretions to label the boundaries of their territory.  

We did have Amur Tigers at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (CBZ), but they are visiting another zoo as their habitat is being reconstructed. Changbai, an Amur Tiger who is currently 16 years old, was born on May 24th, 2007. She arrived at CBZ from the Philadelphia Zoo in January 2017. Changbai is the mother of two tiger cubs, Reka and Zeya. These cubs were born at the zoo on November 25th, 2017. In 2020, Zeya moved to Rosamond Gifford Zoo, where she now lives with a male tiger in hopes of breeding. Reka was relocated in October 2021. The movement of these animals to other zoos helps to establish populations of Amur Tigers that are genetically and demographically diverse.  

In 2023, CBZ announced its plan to reconstruct the Amur Tiger habitat to create a more spacious place for these animals. Changbai departed the zoo in October 2023 and is now at a different facility. The new habitat will contain specialized animal care spaces, maternity and neo-natal areas, and a kitchen.