ThetigerisasymbolofChinesetraditionalculture.TheearliesttigerstatuesinChinaappearedintheNeolithicAge,whichisabout7,000yearsago.Thetiger-shapedtokensymbolizespower,andtermslike鈥渞oaringdragonsandtigers鈥漚nd鈥渄ragonsrisingandtigersleaping鈥漚remetaphorsforextraordinaryvitality.
TheSouthChinatigerisoneofChina鈥檚top10endangeredanimalsandnationalfirst-gradeprotectedanimals,beinglistedin1981asanendangeredspeciesintheappendixIlistofCITES(theConventionofInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpeciesofWildFaunaandFlora鈥揳lsoknownastheWashingtonConvention),andwasincludedintheredlistofcriticallyendangeredspeciesbytheInternationalUnionforConservationofNature(IUCN)in2012.
HabitsandCharacteristics
Thetigermainlylivesintropicalrainforestsandevergreenbroad-leavedforestsinsouthernChina.ItusedtoliveinthevastmountainousareasofChinafromtheShandongPeninsulatothesouth,mainlyinHunan,Guangdong,Jiangxi,andFujianprovinces.Footprintsindicatingthetiger鈥檚presencehavealsobeenfoundinShaanxi,Sichuan,Henan,Hubei,andZhejiangprovinces.
Thetigerhasaroundhead,shortears,thickandpowerfullimbs,alongtail,andstreaksonitshead.Itshaircolorisdeep,thechestandabdomenaremainlymilkywhite,whilethewholebodyisorangeandcoveredwithblackstripes.Thereareshortandnarrowstripesonthefur.ThespacingofthestripesislargerthanthatoftheBengalTigerandtheSiberianTiger.Rhombicpatternsoftenappearonthesideofthebody.Thereisathickvolarpadonthetiger鈥檚foot,makingitquietwhenwalking.Amongthevarioussubspeciesofthetiger,theSouthChinatigerissmallerinsize,secondonlytotheSumatranTiger.Theadultmaletigerisabout2.5meterslongfromheadtotailandweighsnearly150kg.Thefemaletigerissmaller,about2.3meterslongandweighsnearly110kg.Thetigerhasnofixedhabitatandlikestostayalone.Theadultisstrongandagile,withsharpclaws,acutesenseofsmell,andagoodswimmer.Becauseofitsstrengthitisabletokillavarietyofpreyonitsown,sohasnoneedtohuntingroups.Beingnocturnal,thetigersrestduringtheday,butwhenonthemove,liketoprowlonthemountaintrails,oftenclawingonthesideofthepath,andurinatingontheclawmarkstomarktheirterritory,whichservestokeepotherlargecarnivoresaway.Asacarnivore,itfeedsonhoofedanimalssuchaswildboars,deer,andwildgoats.Intheeventofasevereshortageoffood,thetigerwillattackpeopleandenterthefarmlandstohuntlivestock.Tigersgenerallyhaveafixedhuntingroutespreadoveranareaofabout100-200squarekilometers.
LegendhasitthatSouthChinatigersliketoliveindeepgrass.Whenthetigerrests,thethicktailoftenswingsleftandrightleavingdistinctivepatternsinthegrass,alongwithagrassnestfromwhereitrollsaroundtogetcomfortable.
ReproductionandProtection
SouthChinatigersbreedthroughouttheyear,butfemaletigersaregenerallyinestrusduringspring.Tigershavealifespanof20to25yearsandbegintomatureat2yearsofage.Thefemaletigers鈥檓atingcallisloudscream,andthemaletigerrespondswithasingingroar.Thematingpairwillplaytogetherandcopulatefrequentlyduringthisperiod.Aftertheestrusperiod,themaletigerleavesthefemale,whoremainsintheterritorytogivebirthandrearthecubs.Thetermofpregnancyis100days,andtheaveragenumberofcubsbornisbetweentwoandfour.Beforegivingbirth,thefemalewillchoosealairinacaveorthickshrubsonhighgroundwhichisinaccessible,toactasprotectionfromrainandotherpredators.
Afterthecubsareborn,thecoatcolorchangesfromgrayishyellowtolightyellow,beforegraduallydeepeningtotherichorangeandblack.Cubsopentheireyesafterabouttwoweeksandleavethelairafteronemonth.Thefemale,duringthecubsfeedingperiod,willnotventureoutforfoodandwillattackotheranimalsthatenteritssafespace.Onceconsideredthreatened,thetigresswillleadthecubstoasaferplace.
Aftersixmonthscubsareweanedandhavemasteredthebasicabilitytohuntandkill.Forabouttwoyears,theyoungtigerweighsabout40to50kilogramsbeforeenteringadulthoodafterwhichthemotherandtheoffspringwillliveindifferentterritories.Thelonehabitsofthetigershavemademonitoringthesecreaturesdifficult.Alargenumberofincidentsoftigerattackswererecordedinthe1950sand1960s.Atthattime,China鈥檚populationgrewsharply,andmuchofthemountainforestsandwetlandsweretransformedintofarmland.Astheirlivingspaceshrank,tigersfrequentlyforagedforfoodinthefarmlands,promptinganationwidecampaigntoeliminatethetigers.Thisresultedinthousandsoftigersbeingkilledacrossthecountry.In1979,theChinesegovernmentissuedabanonhuntingtigers,whichbythenhadbecomeararesightinthewild.
Accordingtoasurveyconductedinthe1990s,researchersestimatedtherewereonly20to30wildSouthChinatigersinthemountainsofsouthernChina.Today,thepossibilityofseeingawildSouthChinatigerisverysmall.Atpresent,thenumberofcaptiveSouthChinatigersintheworldisonlyabout200,andallofthemaretheoffspringofsixwildSouthChinatigerscapturedinthe1950s.Thegenesaresingleandthepopulationisdifficulttorejuvenate.
TherearecurrentlyfourprotectionzonesfortherareanimalspeciesinJiangxi,Guangdong,Hunan,andFujianprovincesofChina.InMeihuaMountain,FujianProvince,sincetheestablishmentoftheprotectionzonein1998,morethan20SouthChinatigershavebeenbred,andawildernessstockingareaoftheSouthChinatigerhasbeenestablished.Decadeslater,thesetigersmayfinallybeabletoreturntothemountains.
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Today,thepossibilityofseeingawildSouthChinatigerisverysmall.ThenumberofcaptiveSouthChinatigersintheworldisonlyabout200.