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BookmarkTigers are mammals of the Felidae family and one of four "big cats" in the Panthera genus.
They are predatory carnivores and the largest and most powerful of all living cats.
Most tigers live in forests or grasslands, for which their camouflage is ideally suited, and where it is easy to hunt prey that are faster or more agile.
Among the big cats, only the tiger and jaguar are strong swimmers; tigers are often found bathing in ponds, lakes, and rivers.
Tigers hunt alone and eat primarily medium to large sized herbivores such as sambar deer, wild pigs, gaur, and water buffalo.
However, they also take smaller prey on occasion.
Old and injured tigers have been known to take to easier prey such as humans or domestic cattle and are then termed as man-eaters or cattle-lifters which often leads to them being captured, shot or poisoned.
Humans are the tiger's only true predator, as tigers are often poached illegally for their fur.
Also, their bones and other body parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine for a range of purported uses including pain killers and aphrodisiacs.
Poaching for fur and destruction of habitat have greatly reduced tiger populations in the wild..
For more information about the topic Tiger, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
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