Of the nine species that previously existed, the remaining six are now restricted in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia (Sumatra), Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam and possibly North Korea. The world's population in the wilderness is estimated to be between 3,062 and 3,948 people, compared to about 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century.

Here are unusual facts about this wonderful and extremely rare creature

Tigers cannot purr - You might think that because it's just a big cat, a Tiger could purr, right? In fact, this is not the case. Instead of purring to show his happiness, a Tiger narrows his eyes or even closes them completely. Since vision loss lowers Tigers' defences, it will only do so if you feel very comfortable and safe. Closing your eyes around, you mean, "I feel delighted when you are here, so much so that I can relax a bit!"

Tigers have wicked short term memory - A Tiger has a short-term memory about 30 times longer than a human. That means it can memorize how astounding that wild boar take-down it just performed was for a while. “Wow, I’m good…”

Tigers have been known to emulate the call of other animals to attract prey happily - Bears and Tigers usually cross each other because their habitats may overlap. So it would be logical for Tigers to have developed a strong taste for bears and carry food. To attract the bear directly, we know that the Tigers imitate the bear's prey, once the bear is close enough (believing he found a meal for himself), the Tiger attacks.

Over a hundred years ago, there were eight distinct subspecies of the Tiger. Today, three of those subspecies are extinct, and others are dangerously approaching being wiped off the earth forever.

According to traditional and old Chinese knowledge, a Tiger's body components have magical capabilities to cure disease. Tiger bones believably treat weakness; bristles are used for toothaches, and Tiger tails are used for skin infections. These long-held beliefs fuel catastrophic Tiger poaching.

Because of their gigantic size, Tigers can starve to death within two to three weeks. It needs about 30–40 days for a human to starve.

Because Tigers habitually attack their prey from the side or rear, some people living in rural India cover masks on the back of their heads.

Scientists assume that the white spots behind the ears of a tiger to assistant Tiger cubs follow their mothers in the shady forest. The white spot is called an "ocelli."

The Tiger Who Came to Tea will be roaring its way back to London this summer! Playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the West End from 11 July until 4 September 2022, this is one of the best London attractions for kids aged 3+ this summer, so why not book your tickets and enjoy a day out to remember? The show runs for 55-minutes long and is based on the popular children’s picture book by Judith Kerr.