ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)

[peter]

(04-21-2018, 02:33 AM)Wolverine Wrote: Since you guys are interested in accidents with captive tigers ... https://btvnovinite.bg/bulgaria/incidenti/tigarat-ot-stolichnija-zoopark-e-izljazal-ot-kletkata-si.html

ABOUT THE AIM OF THIS THREAD

This thread is dedicated to tigers. Not captive tigers, but wild tigers. The aim is to get to good information. Good information is information collected by those who know about wild tigers. A biologist is a reliable source, but so is a hunter or a villager who has lived close to tigers for most of his life. 

When good information from good sources is posted for a number of years, the result will be accumulation of knowledge. The result is an interesting and informing thread. 

THE LACK OF INFORMATION ON SIZE

Over the years, the secret life of tigers has been slowly uncovered. Two centuries ago, naturalists and hunters started publishing books. After the Second World War, they were replaced by biologists. 

Although the curtain has been lifted to a degree, we could do with a bit more, especially in the department of size. In the period 1850-1940, hunters provided information. After their day had passed, the flow of information almost stopped. Biologists could have filled the gap, but decided to focus on issues that needed to be addressed first, like conservation, genetics, evolution and management. 

THE RESULT

Although they produced results in the departments mentioned, size suffered. Only very few biologists and zoologists invested time in collecting new information. As not a few of them also reject most of the old records, the same old tables about length, weight and skull size pop up in nearly every article or book.

I'm not saying that incorrect information rules, but biologists seem to have a somewhat limited, of not blurred, view in this department. In India and Nepal, it at times resulted in inadequate scales and not a few rough estimates.  

AMUR TIGERS

We could discuss India and Nepal one more time, but I propose to move to Russia. A century ago, Amur tigers were common in Manchuria, the Russian Far East and most of Korea. Some of those who hunted them wrote books. In some books, tigers of great size featured. However. One has to add that information the method used to measure these mythical tigers was lacking. I also never read anything about the average total length and the skull length of wild Amur tigers.

WILD AMUR TIGERS

In the first decades of the previous century, Amur tigers really walked the edge. Although they recovered to a degree, they still behave as they did in the first decades of the last century.

In 1992, a project was started in Russia. The joint venture (Russia and the US) resulted in a lot of good information. It has to be said that size was not forgotten. However. The samples were small and the tigers were measured 'over curves'. This method is unreliable. Apart from that, the tables had 'problem tigers', young adults (3-5 years of age) and mature tigers (6 and over). This although it must have been known that there are significant differences between age groups in big cats, especially in the skull department.

As a result of the tables, the mighty Amur tiger (still up to thirteen feet and 800 pounds in some newspaper articles) emerged as a tiger of moderate size, certainly no larger than a decent male lion from South Africa. Males averaged 389 pounds, whereas females averaged about 265.  

As to the historical records. Slaght and his collegues also had a go at them. Most were dismissed as 'unreliable'. Although Miquelle said that male Amur tigers averaged 430 pounds, information from the Russian team (The Amur Tiger Project) confirmed that the days of the giants are past and gone.

Most males today range between 375 and 465 pounds. At that weight, they average about 294 cm. (9.8), measured 'over curves', in total length. What struck most, however, is the lack of individual variation.

I never saw a table with skull measurements. In that department, we, for that reason, have to make do with the info collected by V. Mazak in the seventies of the last century. V. Mazak, however is still viewed with some doubt. The reason is he admitted he had been misled by some of the old hunters. As a result, the first edition of his great book had incorrect information about the size of wild Amur tigers. 

CAPTIVE AMUR TIGERS

It could be that captive adult male Amur tigers, as Slaght concluded, averaged 373 pounds in some parts of the world a decade ago, but in western Europe they seem quite a bit larger. Seem underlined, of course, as I never read a decent study.

As a result of the lack of good data, some of our members decided to collect infomation. The tables they posted suggest that males in the US and Europe average 460-480 pounds (208,66-217,73 kg.). Not very different from the estimate of a UK-based member of AVA ('Eagle Raptor') who had quite a bit of personal experience with captive Amur tigers.

In captive Amur tigers, individual variation seems to be very outspoken. Some males hardly exceed 160 kg. (354 pounds), whereas others, in excellent shape (not obese), are close to twice that weight. No wonder that many in this part of the world still think that Amur tigers are the biggest big cats by a margin.

Is there good information about the size of captive male Amur tigers in the western hemisphere? No. China then? Japan? Russia? Information collected by biologists? The answer is no. And skulls? Same answer. In these circumstances, Wolverine, good information about the size of captive Amur tigers can, and should, be posted in this thread.

RECORD AMUR TIGER SKULL

The article posted by Betty has good information about the size of a young adult (4-year old) captive male Amur tiger. After he had been shot by the director of the zoo, the tiger was measured by (or in the presence of) a veterinarian pathologist and a forensic pathologist.

The male tiger was 240 cm. in head and body length and 336,5 cm. in total length, most probably measured in a straight line ('between pegs'). In the newspaper articles I read (in German), tiger 'Altai' was estimated at 250-280 kg. (552-618 pounds). He seemed a bit longer, but not as robust as the famous Duisburg Zoo male tiger.

Here's a few captive male Amur tigers similar in size:

- Duisburg zoo ('Amur'); total length 320 cm. in a straight line; 110 cm. at the shoulder standing; head length 50 cm., and estimated at 280-300 kg. in his prime:

*This image is copyright of its original author

- Koln zoo ('Altai'); total length (most probably in a straight line) 336,5 cm.; weight (estimated) 250-280 kg., and GSL about 430 mm.:

*This image is copyright of its original author

- Braunschweig zoo ('Jeltzin') - weight 270 kg.:

*This image is copyright of its original author

 
- Blackpool zoo; weight 611 pounds (277,15 kg.):

*This image is copyright of its original author

- Unknown Chinese zoo (recently posted by Betty); look at the size of the head:

*This image is copyright of its original author

- China; a very robust male Amur tiger:

*This image is copyright of its original author

- Prague zoo ('Amur'); total length 319 cm. in a straight line and 337 cm. 'over curves'; standing height 104-105 cm.; weight (estimated 250-260 kg.) and GSL 377 mm.: 

*This image is copyright of its original author

More important than that are the photographs in the article. The reason is they have a scale.

These photographs enable readers to get to an estimate on the size of the skull. In my opinion, the skull is about 430 mm. in greatest total length and 284 mm. in zygomatic width. Much larger than all other measurements of Amur tiger skulls. 

Is the Koln zoo tiger unique in the size department (total length and weight)? Based on what I saw, my guess is no.

Is the skull unique? It is much longer than all other skulls measured by biologists and zoologists. The longest accepted is the skull of 383 mm. measured by V. Mazak.

Here's a few large skulls:

- Manchuria; 406,40 mm. (V. Mazak - unconfirmed):

*This image is copyright of its original author

- Skull of a captive tiger (not an Amur tiger); GSL 400,05 mm.; zygomatic width 292,10 mm.:

*This image is copyright of its original author

- Nepal (The Sauraha tiger); no measurements available, but the owner (312 cm. in total length measured in a more or less s traight line) bottomed a 600-pound scale the last time he was weighed:

*This image is copyright of its original author

- Koln zoo: young adult male Amur tiger; GSL about 430 mm.; width about 284 mm.:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Was the skull of the Koln zoo tiger measured by a biologist? No. But the photograph enables anyone interested to get to a more or less educated guesstimate. The reason is the photograph has a scale. Is it good enough to cross the threshold? Yes. The reason is the scale in the photograph.

CAPTIVE TIGERS

And what about captive Amur tigers and accidents in zoos, private facilities and circuses? The information available strongly suggests that captive big cats are dangerous anywhere. Over the years, I visited a lot of facilities that had big cats. I noticed time and again that most people working in these facilities (zoos included) crossed the line. This topic, however, should be discussed in the captive animals department. Reply