Anushka, a female Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) at Jungle Cat World has a nap while we admire her little big paw.

Some people believe that if you remove everything that is pointy on a tiger, it will be rendered harmless. However, that doesn't reflect just how powerful a tiger can be.

While tigers use their teeth and claws to dispatch prey, their paws themselves can be devastating engines of destruction. Tigers have been known to stun prey with a swat to the head or face and have been known to use haymakers to crush the skulls of deer as well. The power behind those paws comes from massive muscles in their forearms, up to their shoulders.

Now, imagine a swat that powerful...far more powerful than a punch from the world's strongest boxing champion...now add claws as sharp as razor blades.

Tigers are, indeed, an awe-inspiring force of nature.

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Tigers are the largest of the big cats and are exclusively found in Asia from India to Vietnam, from Indonesia to the Russian Far East. The tiger can be divided into 9 subspecies: 4 are currently critically endangered and 3 are already extinct. Though estimations of tiger populations only a few years ago was 5,500-6,000, today populations are likely closer to 3,500 and are still declining. Dramatic declines of the tiger in India, thought to host the majority of the world's tigers, have fallen to less than 1,411. Overall, the past decade has seen a 40% reduction in tiger habitat, which now represents a mere 7% of its historic range. Poaching is a significant problem throughout the tiger's range, the demand for its body parts in traditional medicines, tonics, and exotic dishes driving a lucrative trade that is wiping out entire populations. Long-term threats include habitat fragmentation and prey depletion, which is accelerating the tiger's demise and subsequently reducing the long-term genetic viability of many populations.

If you want to help, the best for you to do is to educate yourself ([link]), never buy products made from tigers or endangered species ([link]), and tell others. Contact me for more information.