Tigers are big, strong cats. In fact, they’re the biggest cats in the world.
You might have heard lions called “King of the Jungle,” but that isn’t quite right. For one, lions mostly live on the grassy plains of Africa — not in the jungle. For two, tigers are a lot bigger than lions.
A full-grown male lion can reach six to seven feet in length, and 370 to 500 pounds. That’s nothing to sneeze at. But a full-grown male Siberian tiger (the biggest kind of tiger) can reach a whopping 12.1 feet and 933 pounds. So, shouldn’t tigers be king?
Since tigers are so big and strong, it may surprise you to learn that tigers are an endangered species. That means that, unless action is taken to protect them, they are in danger of becoming extinct.
As human populations around the world have grown, they have cut into tiger territory. As the jungle is bulldozed to make room for roads and buildings, tigers are driven into smaller and smaller areas. Poachers also hunt them for their fur, bones, teeth, and other body parts which are worth a lot of money.
- The Bengal Tiger (Nature’s Deadliest) by Colleen Sexton
- Wonder Pets! Save the Bengal Tiger! by Billy Lopez
- Roar by Varsha Bajaj
- Project Tiger (Zoo Life) by Susan Ring
- Save the Tiger (Animal SOS!) by Angela Royston
In 1900, about 100,000 tigers lived in the wild around the world. By 2010, the number had dropped all the way down to 3,200. That’s a 96.8 percent drop! Three kinds of tiger have disappeared from our world entirely: the Caspian tiger, Javan tiger, and Bali tiger. The South China tiger is seriously endangered, as well.
From left to right: the Bali, Caspian, and Javan tigers, prior to their extinctions.
Tigers must hunt for each meal, which becomes increasingly difficult as humans take up more of their land. Only about one in every 20 hunts ends with a tiger catching its prey.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) aimed to double the number of tigers by 2022. It didn’t quite reach that goal. But, as of 2026, there were an estimated 5,500 tigers living in the wild.
(Many more tigers live in captivity — mostly in zoos — than in the wild. In China alone, there are 6,100 tigers in captivity. The U.S. isn’t far behind with 5,000.)
The WWF aren’t the only ones fighting for the future of these big, beautiful cats. Each September, people around the United States observe National Save a Tiger Month. If you want to help tigers have a brighter future, talk to your parents about actions you can take as a family.
At the DeKalb Public Library, you can also take some time to learn about tigers or read about the threats facing tigers around the world. We can help you find a book with plenty of information on tigers, and other big cats, too!
Give us a call at 815-756-9568 ext. 3350 or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions!