The Balinese tiger is an extinct subspecies

The biggest cats on Earth are the tigers. Nowadays there are several subspecies of different sizes and fur of different shades. Three of them are extinct. A Balinese tiger deserves special attention. He was exterminated by man in the last century. This representative of felines is considered to be the smallest tiger that existed on Earth.

Origin

Two theories of the origin of this subspecies are known. Supporters of the former tend to think that initially Balinese and Javanese tigers had a common ancestor. However, during the Ice Age, they were isolated from each other on different islands. Thus, one was formed Balinese subspecies, the other - Javanese.

According to the second theory, the ancient ancestor of these tigers came to a new habitat from other lands, crossing the Strait of Bali, which stretched for 2.4 km. This statement completely refutes the well-known myth that absolutely all cats are afraid of water.

External description. Reproduction

The Balinese tiger differed from its relatives in small sizes. In length, males reached 120-230 cm, females were smaller, only 93-183 cm. However, even such predator sizes aroused fear of the local population. The weight of the beast did not exceed 100 kg in males, and 80 kg in females.

Unlike other relatives, the Balinese tiger had a completely different fur. It was short and saturated orange. The number of bands is less than usual, sometimes there were dark spots among them.

Pregnancy of the female lasted 100-110 days, in the litter there were always 2-3 kittens. They were born blind and helpless, with a weight of up to 1.3 kg. But closer to a year already themselves tracked prey and hunted. However, together with the tigress remained up to 1,5-2 years. Lived these representatives of felines for about 10 years.

Inhabitation

The habitat of the Balinese tigers was Indonesia, the island of Bali. This subspecies has never been seen in other territories.

He led the way of life the same as the rest of the feline. I preferred a single beast and a wandering way of life. In one place he stayed for a few weeks, then went on a quest for a new one. The extinct tigers were labeled with their own territory by urine, than showed the belonging of specific places of a certain individual.

They were great lovers of water. In hot weather, they constantly bathed and swam in water.

Food

The Balinese tiger was a predator. Hunted alone, but in rare cases during the mating season went for prey with his female. If there were several individuals near the caught animal, it was a tigress with a grown-up offspring.

Like other representatives of the species, it was a fairly clean cat that watched the condition of its fur, periodically licking it, especially after meals.

During the hunt, two methods were used: stalking and waiting for the victim. The masking color helped the tigers when tracking the prey. Most often they hunted near water bodies and on paths. Having crept to the prey by small careful steps, the tiger did several large jumps and overtook the prey.

During the wait, the predator lay, and as the victim approached, he made a quick breakthrough. In case of a miss more than 150 meters the animal he did not pursue.

With a successful hunt, like other large cats, an extinct subspecies of tigers gnawed at the throat of its prey, often at the same time breaking its neck. Over time he could eat up to 20 kg of meat.

When the victim was transported, the predator carried it in his teeth or threw it behind his back. On the hunt the tiger went out at dusk or at night. All the techniques used in this process were the result of mother training, and not an innate form of behavior.

In its territory, the Balinese tiger was the peak of the food pyramid, rarely who could compete with this beast. For him, only people represented the danger.

Extinction

The Balinese tiger is exterminated by man. Officially, the first representative of the subspecies was shot in 1911. It was an adult, very interested in the local population. After this incident, mass hunting began on the predator, livestock was often used as baits.

The last tiger was shot on September 27, 1937, from this time the subspecies was recognized as extinct. It is known that this was a female. There are even real photos on which the local residents and the killed beast are imprinted. There is an opinion that several individuals could still live up to the 50's.

The main reasons for the extinction of the Balinese tiger are the destruction of the human habitat and the barbarous (at that time popular) predator hunting. Most often he was killed because of valuable fur.

Officially, hunting was banned only in 1970, and the animal was also mentioned in the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

In the culture of the inhabitants of the island of Bali, the tiger occupied a special niche. He was treated with reverence. He met in folk tales, his image was used in local art.

However, there were those who treated the animal with suspicion and even hostility. After the extermination of the beast, many documents and other materials related to the tiger were destroyed.

In England, the British Museum has fragments of bones of the skeleton, three skulls and two skins of an extinct predator.