T The Year of the Tiger
(From the Senior's Website www.ActivityConnection, graphics and links not included)
“Do not blame God for having created the tiger, but thank him for not giving it wings.” ~ Indian proverb
Props and Preparations
* Print a copy of the PICTURES on this page to pass around during your discussion.
* Play a “tiger song” such as “Into the Realm” or “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor at the beginning or end of the
activity.
Introduction
Tigers are admired, feared, and sometimes loathed. They are known for their cunning strength and courage.
Some people possess some of the admirable and not so admirable traits of tigers. In this discussion, we will
(safely) take a look at the tiger and “tiger people.” Make sure to have a happy “mew” year!
One Big Cat!
The tiger is the largest of the cats. It weighs up to 720 pounds and grows up to 6 feet long, and has a tail
nearly 3-feet long. A tiger is as strong as an ox and a whole lot leaner, quicker, and fiercer. It's no wonder it
has no predators (except man). The tiger's coat is mostly a bright golden color with black stripes on the
head, body, and tail. These markings are called “tabby marks” and are similar to marks that are found on
some house cats, which are a distant relative to the lion. Like fingerprints, there are no two tigers with the
same pattern of stripes on its body.
Tigers can be found roaming widely across the continent of Asia - from Iran to the Sea of Okhotsk in eastern
Siberia and from the northeastern section of Asia southward to Malaysia and the Indian Peninsula. There are
five subspecies of tigers left in the world today: Indo-Chinese, Bengal, Siberian or Amur, South China, and
Sumatran.
Tigers average 2-3 cubs per litter. The female looks after them for up to two years, at which time they have
learned to hunt on their own and will leave their mother. The male tiger doesn't take part in their upbringing.
For all their ferocity, tigers are portrayed as amiable beasts in comics, commercials, and storybooks. We
fondly recall Tony the Tiger in Kellogg's commercials, Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, and Hobbes from the
comic strip Calvin and Hobbes.
A Fierce Predator
“He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount.” ~ Chinese Proverb
Tigers take advantage of their strength and size to prey on other animals, including Homo sapiens (yikes!
That's us!). The color of their coat and varied markings help them prowl unseen in the tall grass along
riverbanks and in dense, damp jungles. They hunt alone - mostly at night - sneaking up on their prey and
pouncing at the opportune time. They prey mostly on animals smaller than themselves, giving a wide berth to
larger animals, such as elephants, buffalo, and bear. If given the opportunity, they'll prey on domestic cattle,
sheep, horses, and goats. They've been known to devour an ox every five days, or 70 oxen in a year.
The Year of the Tiger
People born in a certain range of dates and years in the Chinese zodiac are said to have tiger traits.
According to astrologers, tiger people are also sensitive, sympathetic people (they may cry during a sad
movie) who are prone to deep thinking. However, they tend to have a short fuse and anger quickly. People
generally have great respect for the tiger, though they can sometimes be a little apprehensive around them.
The tiger symbolizes such character traits as bravery and competitiveness. Sometimes tiger people come in
conflict with people in positions of authority. Tiger people get along well with Horses, Dragons, and Dogs.
Famous tiger people include Emily Bronte, Sheryl Crow, Tom Cruise, Emily Dickinson, Dwight D. Eisenhower,
Jay Leno, Karl Marx, Marilyn Monroe, Marco Polo, Beatrix Potter, Queen Elizabeth II, and Jon Stewart.
Discussion Break
* Like the domestic cat, tigers are revered for their beauty, grace, mystery, and power. Do you see
similarities between the tiger and a domestic cat?
* Have you ever seen a tiger in real life? Were you at the zoo or were you on a safari? Tell us about it.
* What was Tony the Tiger's favorite expression (They're Grrrrreat! In reference to Kellogg's Frosted Flakes).
* Is anyone in the group a “tiger person,” and if so, do any of the traits mentioned above fit you? Have you
ever known any tiger people? Talk about their personality traits. Do the traits above fit them?
Tiger Trivia
* Wandering male tigers often kill tiger cubs to make the female receptive to mating.
* There are only about 4,000 tigers that roam in the wild (not in captivity). One hundred years ago there were
about 100,000 tigers in the wild.
* The largest tiger species is the Amur (Siberian) tiger, with male Amurs reaching 10 feet (about 3 meters) in
length and weighing 400 pounds (181 kilograms). The smallest is the Sumatran tiger, at about 220 pounds
(110 kilograms).
* After a gestation period of 103 days, tigers give birth to an average of two or three cubs. Tigers can have
up to seven cubs.
* Tigers have around 100 stripes.
* White tigers are a white colored Bengal tiger, and are not a separate subspecies of tiger. They are not
albinos, but are produced from a rare gene found in Bengal tigers.
* The German-American entertainers Siegfried & Roy used white tigers in their long-running act in Las
Vegas, which ended in February of 2009. The pair relied on white tigers so much that they started a
breeding program for the tigers.
* Drinking tiger bone wine is a health tonic for treating common bone-related ailments such as arthritis,
according to a Chinese superstition. Tiger bone wine is made from the carcass of a tiger soaked in rice wine.
* Unlike most cats, tigers enjoy swimming and will even dive underwater.
* Tigers are on the endangered list and three subspecies of tigers have become extinct in the last 80 years:
the Bali tiger, Caspian tiger, and Javan tiger.
* In the wild, a tiger’s life span is 15 - 20 years. In captivity, they have reached 26 years of age.
* Tigers have the same skeletal structure as a lion, but they lack the lion's mane.
* Tigers retract their paws as they walk, leaving no tracks behind.
* The tiger is the world's favorite animal, at least that's the conclusion of a poll conducted by the popular
television channel Animal Planet. Dogs were a close second.
Additional Activities
1. See our Chinese New Year page for an “Are You a Tiger?” discussion.
2. Try to solve this Year of the Tiger word search.
3. See this month’s Brush to Canvas page and draw a silly cartoon tiger.
4. Print out these tiger coloring pages.
5. Check out these tiger craft activities.
6. Print out an article on an attempt to save endangered tigers in Russia to use for discussion.
7. Have a contest to see who can make the best (longest) “Grrrreat” Tony the Tiger roar.
Sites to See
* Hear the roar of a tiger and see more pictures of tigers.
* Find more information on tigers at this National Geographic site.
* Watch a tiger take a bath!
