Lions and Tigers

Both lions and tigers are contenders for the largest members of the cat family. Lions and tigers also have the same number of cubs. Although they have many differences, the lions and the tigers are both coming dangerously close to becoming extinct, due to inbreeding as well as over-hunting and poaching. In spite of the fact that they have the same internal structures and both belong to the cat family, lions and tigers are two very different animals.

Lions and tigers have different social structures in the wild. Male lions travel with their own personal harems of lionesses and their cubs. This makes lions one of the few members of the cat family that travels in any sort of group, aside from mothers and their cubs or kittens. A male lion will also kill the cubs of a rival male after he kills the other male and takes over the pride. Tigers, on the other hand, rarely interact with their family groups, except when their cubs are young or food is scarce. In captivity, however, tigers have little choice of whether or not to socially interact with other tigers.

Tigers are also solitary hunters, using stealthy stalking techniques and either a throat bite or a neck bite to bring down their prey. They also hide their food for later meals. In contrast, lionesses do all of the hunting for their prides. Lionesses subdue their prey with an ambush technique, as they cannot run long distances. The male lion always gets to eat his share of the kill first, then the lionesses, and finally the cubs.

The food sources of lions and tigers vary greatly because of their different habitats and hunting techniques. Tigers hunt wild boars, buffalo, and deer. They will also hunt fish, monkeys, and small animals if the larger animals are scarce. Lionesses, on the other hand, will hunt medium to large herd animals, such as gazelles, antelope, and wildebeest. Again, a lion or tiger�s food source depends greatly on the habitat that it lives in and the conditions of that habitat in certain seasons.

As far as habitats go, lions are indigenous to most of Africa and a few parts of Asia. Lions used to be found in greater numbers in Asia, but man has hunted Asiatic lions to the brink of extinction. Tigers used to be found all over Asia also and the Middle East, as well as some of the islands of the southwest Pacific, such as Java, but they have recently become extinct in these areas. Some people justify this mass extermination with the idea that all tigers are naturally man-eaters. This is almost entirely false, since tigers will only go after humans if they are old, sick, or defending themselves from an attack by man.

Unfortunately, tigers are closer to being extinct than lions. This is because of poaching of tigers for their coats and bones. Measures to stop this have been helpful, but the illegal poaching continues to this day. Lions are not endangered yet, but they are vulnerable. As it was stated before, lions have been hunted to near extinction in Asia.

Lions and tigers are closely related members of the cat family. Their internal structures are almost identical. Both are contenders for the largest members of the Cat family. Lions and tigers also have the same number of cubs. Although they have many differences, the lions and the tigers are both coming dangerously close to becoming extinct, due to inbreeding as well as over-hunting and poaching. Both should be treated as two very distinct and wonderful types of animal.

�Rebecca Lynn Oaks 2/15/99