Page 61 - The World of Animals

WILD CATS: TIGERS

Never think for a moment that they are compliant like a cat!
They are very wild and strong. They are the strongest of the

cat family.
New-born tigers open their eyes only two days after they are

born. Although she is very wild towards other animals, the
mother tiger is very sensitive and caring towards her cubs. She
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suckles them for a period of six weeks. Then, she gradually

teaches them how to hunt and find their food.

After this period of education, the young cub grows into a
strong adult that can move very fast. At one leap, he can

cover a distance of four metres (13 feet). Now, open your arms
wide. The distance from the fingertip of one of your hands to
the fingertip of the other is about a metre. Four times this is

the distance that a tiger covers in only one jump.

Tigers can camouflage themselves–adaptation to
environment–a feature of which they are unaware. Their fur,
very much in harmony with the natural colours of the

environment in which they live, is extraordinarily suitable for
camouflage in the jungle. This way, they can secretly approach

their prey. Besides, these colours give tigers very aesthetically
beautiful and impressive features. The lines on their fur and