Tigers are some of the most amazing creatures on the planet. In fact, Animal Planet recently voted tigers to be one of the world’s most favorite animal. But a great deal of what we think we know about tigers is colored by common misconceptions or confusion with other large cats. Perhaps if we grow better informed about these powerful beasts that are on the brink of extinction, we can help grow their numbers once again.

Here are 22 amazing facts about tigers you probably do not know…

1. A tiger’s legs are so powerful that they can remain standing even when dead…

2. They are the largest of all the big cats, weighing up to 300k (700 pounds)…

3. If you look a tiger in the eyes he is less likely to kill you…

4.Tigers are completely blind for the first week of their life. About half do not survive to adulthood…

5. The white spot on the back of their ears is called an ocelli…

6. Tigers have antiseptic saliva…

7. Tiger’s tongues make our tongues look pretty sad…

8. Tigers are solitary creatures…

9. They’re nicer than lions…

10. Tigers have very diverse diets…

11. Tigers do not normally view humans as prey…

12. Tigers can leap distances of over 6m, and jump up to 5m vertically…

13. A backhand from a tiger can kill you…

14. Tigers have been known to imitate the call of other animals to successfully attract prey…

15. Tigers have a brain that weighs over 300g…

16. Tigers are adept swimmers…

17. They have an amazing short term memory…

18. There were once nine subspecies of tigers: Now only 6 remain…

19. The Balinese tiger was purposely hunted to extinction…

20. There are a greater number of tigers in captivity in the US alone than there are wild tigers left on earth…

21. The white tiger has become even rarer in the wild due to trophy hunting or capture for the exotic pet trade…

22. It has been estimated that all the last remaining subspecies of tigers could become extinct in the wild in as little as 15 years…

Please help us spread the word about these majestic beasts by sharing this story. With your help, we can spread awareness about the decline of these wonderful creatures.

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