Amur tiger interesting facts. Legends of the white tiger - magical world

The largest cats on our planet are Siberian tigers, they are endangered.

They are massive carnivores that live in the colder regions of our Earth. Siberian or Amur tiger- a species endangered today. They are found most often in the southeast of modern Russia.

Poachers in China and Korea have greatly reduced their numbers. It is believed that 350 - 400 tigers remained in wildlife and about 490 in zoos.

Facts about Siberian tigers.

They are huge creatures and weigh up to 390 kg and approximately 3-4 meters in length. Average weight The Amur tiger is 180-300 kg. Their height at the shoulders reaches from 1 meter in an upright position. They have a pale orange skin color with black colored stripes. White Siberian tigers have stripes on their white chocolate-colored coat. Their maturity occurs at 3-5 years old and they have a specific mating season. The gestation period lasts from 3 to 3.5 months. Cubs are protected by their mothers in the period of 8 weeks, because they are born blind, then they follow her. At the age of 1 year, they help adult hunters. From the age of 3 years, the Amur tigers are considered adults and begin to hunt on their own. The jump of the Amur tiger can be up to 7 meters long.

What does the Amur tiger eat?

He needs to eat 20 kg of meat daily. Basically, their diet includes deer, moose, wild boars. During a shortage of food, even monkeys, fish, frogs, birds can get into their diet. Out of about 10 hunting attempts, only 1 succeed. In search of food, tigers travel long distances, up to 600 km. An adult Amur tiger can eat up to 90 kg of meat per day and up to 45 kg at a time. During the hunt, he uses the ambush method. Although these tigers are strong and run fast, they can start their attack from a distance of 9 to 25 meters to their prey.

Habitat of the Siberian tiger.

Tigers love to live separately and occupy large areas, sometimes reaching over 4,000 square miles. Females mainly live in families and take care of their cubs.

First, tigers met in a large number in Russia, Korea, China, but poachers sharply reduced their numbers. Tigers are killed for their precious skins, but the Chinese often use them to prepare medicines. Today, tigers live only in the Russian Far East.

Some Interesting Facts:

The local population is respectful of tigers. The Tungus call them an old man or grandfather, and the Nanai call them Amba.

Amur tigers, unlike Bengal tigers, rarely become man-eaters. In the 20th century, only 6 cases of cannibalism were recorded.

After escaping from the San Francisco Zoo on December 22, 2007, the Amur tiger Tatyana was shot. He wounded two people and killed one.

Happened Amur tigers killed a bear. This happens when the number of artiodactyls is declining and tigers need to look for alternative sources nutrition. The brown bear is attacked more often than the black one, because it cannot climb trees.

Amur tigers live up to 15 years in the wild, and less in captivity.

White Siberian tigers live longer than their orange-skinned counterparts.

Amur tigers can withstand severe frosts.

In the event of a fight, they rattle their tail and warn the opponent.

The male fiercely defends his territory, but he will not harm the violating female with cubs.

Conservation of the Amur tiger is a must. It takes a sincere effort to protect these strong but vulnerable creatures.

Wow, you! .. Here, yes! .. Be healthy! ..

The largest feline on Earth, the Amur or Ussuri tiger, is rightfully considered the owner of the Ussuri taiga. Probably the most revered representative of the Far Eastern fauna among the peoples inhabiting these lands. The largest among its relatives and the smallest, therefore it is listed in the Red Book and needs protection.

The tiger is a symbol of tremendous power, courage, dignity, protector from dark forces and any negative impact, giving good luck in business and new beginnings, connecting the past with the future, soul with matter, in some traditions it is a symbol of Mother Earth.

Today it has survived only in the south. Of the Far East on the spurs of the Sikhote-Alin ridge, about 90% of this rare beast found on the territory of Russia. The owner of an exotic color reaches about 3.5 m in length with a tail, has no equal in strength and power, weighs more than 250 kg., Hunts large animals - wild boars, red deer, although if hungry he will not give up smaller game, and from fish, and from the fruits of various plants.

The living conditions of the Ussuri tiger are quite harsh - winter frosts can reach - 40 at strong wind, summer heat above +30, so the animal has thick hair and the only one of its relatives has a fat pad on the belly of about 5 cm, as a protection against severe frosts and winds, short legs and wide pads so as not to drown in deep snow.

The tiger is a loner, the cubs live next to their mother for about 2 years, until they learn to hunt big game, and then leave in search of their territory. Enormous physical strength and endurance help them to overcome quite large distances - the living area of ​​an adult male can reach up to 800 square kilometers.

The peoples living in the neighborhood with this amazing animal treated him with great respect, called him the master of the taiga. In the works of Arsenyev, his guide through the Ussuri taiga, Dersu Uzala, called tigers "people". Many nationalities really revered him as a person.

It was impossible to shoot not only at the tiger, but also at the beast pursued by the tiger, if the hunter did not notice the hunt and killed the beast that the tiger was chasing, he had to leave it to the tiger and beg his forgiveness by bringing the sacrifice that the council of the clan would appoint him. Taking the prey of a tiger was tantamount to stealing, which for these peoples was completely unacceptable, stealing was not in honor here.

The most striking indicator of the attitude towards the tiger as a person is the tiger's funeral. The Orocs, Udegeis, Nanais had a custom to bypass the place where their fellow tribesman was killed, they marked it with special signs, they did not hunt and did not pick wild plants there.

If by chance a tiger died at the hands of a man, a funeral was arranged for him - a blockhouse was built on 4 stands, a bedding of shavings was laid on the floor of the blockhouse, the skin was removed, and a white rag was hung at the head of the tiger, the blockhouse was closed on top and notches were made around it, which meant that it was forbidden territory.

At the same time, the Orochi even dressed a tiger - for hind legs pants and shoes, a robe on top, mittens on the front paws, a hat on the head.

The tiger was revered as the spirit of ancestors, he can be a kind helper and protector, or he can become an evil spirit - Amba, who "went crazy", then he was declared a blood feud and there was no mercy as an enemy.

The attitude of a tiger to a person is also surprising, a healthy animal bypassed a person, only a wounded tiger can attack, offended by man, the dying tigress more than once brought her cubs to people in the hope that they would help them.

Tigers have always been guarding sacred sites such as. And, of course, many legends and traditions were associated with them. One of the legends says.

Somewhere in the wilds of the Ussuri taiga, at the source of a small river, lived a wise wizard who knew how to turn river water into magic and with its help healed people, returned them youth and beauty. But one day evil people came to him who wanted to use his power for bad intentions. The good wizard refused to help them, then they lay in wait for him at night and killed him, and the body was thrown into the river, but as soon as it touched the water, an incredible thing happened, the body disappeared, and in that place a huge handsome tiger appeared. He quickly dealt with his offenders.

The disciples of the wise wizard made a silver grotto at the source of the river, and the river itself has since become a magical source that gives people not only health, but also wisdom that reveals all the secrets of the world. An impenetrable taiga has grown around it, and the path to the source is still guarded Ussurian tiger, not allowing people with ill intentions to come to him.

By the way, tigers are very fond of water, they often and with pleasure splash in reservoirs or just love to lie on the shore.

The tiger has only one enemy and one protector - a man. For a long time, the tiger was a favorite prey of poachers, and not only the beautiful skin is to blame for this, the tiger has a special value in Chinese medicine, which uses everything - from the tip of the tail to the tips of the whiskers, the barbaric extermination almost led to the death of the population in the middle of the 20th century, people caught on in time and the measures taken to protect this amazing animal helped to preserve it.

Tiger(lat.Panthera tigris) - species predatory mammals feline, one of four representatives genus panther (lat. Panthera), which belongs to the subfamily of big cats. Word "Tiger" comes from ancient Greek. τίγρις, which in turn goes back to Old Pers. * tigri from the root "* taig" with meaning "spicy", "quick", "pointed". The tiger is the largest and most formidable of the large cats. The tiger is the largest representative of the feline family and one of the largest land predators, second in weight only to white and brown bears, and therefore it is not surprising that in the minds of people he often acts as the king of animals and the owner of the forest, competing with the lion. Adult males Amur tigers reach a length of more than three and a half meters and weigh more than 315 kilograms. Tigers those subspecies that live in tropical areas Asian range, somewhat smaller - bengal tigers usually weigh no more than 225 kilograms, and in general mainland subspecies tiger is larger island .

Highlighted nine subspecies of the tiger, of which by the beginning of the XXI century only six, of which the most numerous is Bengal tiger (nominative subspecies), accounting for 40% of the total population.

Amur tigers are the largest cats on our planet and are also endangered. The skin color of Siberian tigers is pale orange with black colored stripes. White Siberian tigers have chocolate-colored stripes on their white fur coat. The Amur tiger needs 20 kilograms of meat daily. They mainly eat deer, elk, and wild boars. Monkeys, birds, frogs and fish become part of their diet when food is scarce. On average, only 1 in 10 hunting attempts are successful. According to the record, tigers are known to have traveled over 600 kilometers in search of food. An adult Amur tiger can eat 90 kg of meat in one day, and 45 kg in one sitting. He uses the "ambush" method while hunting. Although these tigers run at great speed, they must be 9 to 25 meters from their prey to launch an attack.

The local population living in the Far East has great respect for these tigers. The Tungus call the Siberian tigers "old man" or "grandfather", and the Nanai called them "Amba".

There have been cases of killing a bear by Siberian tigers. This only happens when the number of ungulates falls and tigers need to look for some alternative food sources. The brown bear is more susceptible to tiger attacks than black bears. This is due to the inability of brown bears to climb trees.

The oldest fossil remains of tigers are known from northern China and O. Java... Though Amur tiger often call Siberian , there is no tiger in the forests of Siberia and never was. Fossil remains of tigers known only on south of the Far East in the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene layers. Based on these paleontological and zoogeographic data, it is now generally accepted that the center of origin of the tiger is in South-East Asia ... Hence the tiger, like many other animals (leopard, sika deer, soft leatherback turtles), following broadleaf forests after the last glaciation, settled to the north, reaching to the Ussuri region and the Amur region.

About 10 thousand years ago, tigers advanced south through the Himalayas and eventually spread to almost all India, To the Malay Peninsula and islands Sumatra, Java and Bali... But despite such a huge area, the tiger has now become the rarest of cats. A few centuries ago, the area of ​​its habitat was outlined by the following boundaries: 50 degrees north. NS. ( Kazakhstan), 50 degrees E. etc. ( Northern Iran), 140 degrees E. etc. ( the mouth of the Amur), 8 degrees S. NS. ( Sunda Islands). Tigers have now been exterminated in most of this territory; the largest populations survived in India and Indochina... Within Of Russia a small population of tigers is found only in Far East, v Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territory... Only between 1995 and 2005, the range of the tiger decreased by Asia by about 40%, thus, by today, tigers inhabit only 7% of their original range... V India the tiger population has declined from 20,000, as it was estimated ten years ago, to 2,000 or less. On Sumatra, Java and Bali the darker and smaller insular subspecies disappeared completely. The offensive of man on the habitat of tigers, as well as intensive hunting for them, brought the magnificent animal to the brink of extinction. In the XX century, it was included in the IUCN Red Book, in the Red Book of Russia, as well as in the protection documents of other countries. As of 2015, hunting tigers is banned all over the world. Currently tigers survived on the territory 16 countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Iran, Cambodia, China, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand .

In the zoo, against the back wall of the cage, the tiger strikes brightness of color- orange with black stripes. But in their natural habitat (left), the stripes serve as an excellent disguise. In the high grasses of the Ganges delta (India), the royal, or Bengal, tiger becomes almost invisible, as soon as it freezes in immobility. But even when he glides gracefully in the whimsical shadows of the dense jungle, it is very difficult to notice him. All subspecies of tigers - Bengal, Amur and seven others - possess coloring corresponding to the peculiarities of their habitat ... Tigers inhabit in a wide range of landscapes: tropical rainforests, mangrove swamps and bamboo thickets in the tropics, dry savannas, semi-deserts, bare rocky hills and taiga in the north. In the mountains, they rise up to 3000 m above sea level.

It is believed that the tiger became famous in antique times in the West only after campaign to India of Alexander the Great ... For the first time a tiger appears in Europe in A.D. 19 v Rome as a gift from Indian ambassadors to Augustus. In more ancient symbolism, the tiger, naturally, could exist only in Asia where his strength aroused admiration and fear.

Ancient Roman poet Ovid mentions that the goddess Thetis turned into a tigress in order to avoid marriage with the famous hero, but a mortal man, Peleus (the goddess could not avoid marriage, and the legendary hero of the Trojan War, Achilles, was born from the marriage of Peleus and Thetis). V ancient mythology the tiger is also referred to as the mount of the god of wine, fun and winemaking Dionysus(god associated with India), however, more often this role is played by the related leopard or panther. The tiger, along with the leopard, panther and lynx, is one of the attributes of Dionysus. also in Greek mythology tigers sometimes served as a substitute for leopards, attracting the chariot of Dionysus (among the Romans - Bacchus). The tiger, panther and lynx are common companions of the god Dionysus on all monuments. antique art depicting his triumph. The tiger also has symbolic connections with the wind god Zephyr and with the Asian Minor mother goddess Cybele. In later Europe, the tiger began to be perceived as the embodiment of power and bloodthirstiness.

The tiger is one of the main characters in the myths of the peoples of Asian countries., mainly of those regions that are the natural zone of its habitat. He is often described as the king of beasts, the lord of all land-dwelling animals, a symbol of strength and monarchy. The tiger is usually associated with military valor, so in India its image is a military emblem, a symbol of the Kshatriyas, the caste of rulers and warriors.

Durga the Destroyer rides a tiger, Shiva and his belligerent wife Cali(dark and violent form of Parvati, dark Shakti and destructive aspect of Shiva) often appear in tiger skins. According to the myth, the ancient sages, endlessly jealous of Shiva, who carried away the sensual love of their wives, created a terrible monster - tiger... Shiva killed the predator and made clothes out of his skin. In many images, he is just sitting on a tiger skin. His inner state is described by the concept of "kashi-puri" - "shining city" (from "kash" - "shine, shine"). In a figurative sense, this means the complete overcoming of all the base animal greed that so often overwhelms people.

V India spouse (in a broader sense - female creative power) Shiva — Shakti- rides a tiger - incarnation human passions, which she can unleash or pacify, teaching this witchcraft to all women.

Shiva Not only kind defender, but also formidable god dwelling on the battlefields and at the funeral pyres, Shiva — creator god and at the same time the god of time, and therefore destruction.

Although in Japan The tiger was originally known only from myths, its image was a symbol of courage and is an attribute of warriors-heroes. (Tresidder Jack. Dictionary of Symbols. - 1999)

Center of origin and modern area the spread of tigers is East and Southeast Asia(as described above), and the mythology of the tiger in this region is very complex and often contradictory.

Since ancient times, the tiger has been totem animals many tribes South-East Asia... Such tribes believed that they were descended from the tiger and after death they themselves become tigers, that is, that the living tigers are their deceased relatives. This is reflected in the modern "tiger" names of individual genera among Indian tribes, names such as "tiger-man" or "tiger" names as designations of the highest heroism. This special position of the tiger is reflected in widespread myths about its connection with humans. Some peoples of Malaysia believe that tigers, like people, form a kind of society and live in their own cities and villages.

Nivkhi the almost extinct people living on the island of Sakhalin and near the mouth of the Amur River considered the Tiger a special breed of people (the so-called "people-tigers" or "forest tigers"); It was believed that not only should a tiger not be killed, but he should be shown signs of special respect, bow when meeting him, and apply the Muslim greeting "al-salam-aleikum". In Sumatra, a whole ritual was developed when addressing a tiger when meeting him, they know when a tiger likes human behavior, and when it causes a formidable reaction. In the mountainous regions of Bengal, a hunter, having killed a killer tiger, puts his weapon on his body and turns to God with an explanation of the reasons and motives for this murder.

V South-East Asia and Korea the tiger was revered as the god-master of mountains and caves, the patron saint of the ruling royal families, and was considered as a mediator between Heaven and Earth. It's no coincidence that Summer's mascot Olympic Games 1988 Hodori the tiger cub was chosen in Seoul. Also, Koreans believed that household items decorated with drawings, carvings, embroidery, in the form of tigers served as amulets.

The connection between man and tiger is reflected in numerous Rakshasa myths (werewolf tigers) distributed in Asia, especially in India... The image of the Rakshasa clearly reflects admiration and fear of the tiger. Rakshasa is a demonic being; he owns magic, but he is invulnerable to all spells, except for the most powerful. His favorite business is war. He is treacherous - he loves to win the trust of the victim, and then attack on the sly.

Chinese mythology rather controversial and is a mixture of Taoist, Buddhist mythologies with folk beliefs. In addition, there were also various archaic and newly emerging local folk cults, as well as the cults of Confucian sages and heroes. All this is complexly intertwined in the mythological perception of the tiger.

Tiger in china- the king of beasts, the lord of all animals living on land, causing horror and fear. Main characteristic the tiger, which runs like a red thread through all beliefs and myths, is his strength, which can manifest itself in two ways - he is a creator and a destroyer at the same time. The tiger personifies superhuman strength; it is the messenger of the forest gods, and gods can ride on it, immortals or exorcising evil spirits.

Tiger- the third of the twelve beasts of the Chinese 12 year calendar... V Korea the first lunar month is also called the "month of the Tiger".

Tiger correlated with feminine Yin, with underworld and west where the sun sinks over the edge of the earth, and its opposite was Green Dragon, carrier masculinity Yang... Tied to the tiger and ruler of the west Xi-Wanmu, which in ancient Chinese manuscripts was described as a zoomorphic creature with a leopard's tail and tiger's fangs. Perhaps it is a certain hypostasis of this formidable goddess that is represented by the tiger-like monster Tao-dai ("devourer"), the mention of which dates back to the era Han dynasty... Images of dao-dai are found, as a rule, on objects of funeral cult, and sometimes the funeral urn itself was made in the shape of a tiger. This image is the earth that devours the dead and thus provides food for the living. Later demonic entity Xi-Wangmu underwent radical changes: she entered the Taoist pantheon no longer as a terrible mistress of the west, sending punishment, but as the mistress of the potion of immortality, and the tiger became the guardian of the graves, his image is used against the fight against demons and evil spirits. The demons themselves had to test before tiger horror, therefore on the graves they often exhibited stone sculptures of tigers.

Images of tigers on door frames also had to cast out demons. The White Tiger paired with the Green Dragon in the Middle Ages was revered as spirit - guardian of doors... The image of a tiger is found on bronze and porcelain items of the distant past. Entrances to monasteries, government buildings, rich shops, houses of feudal lords were decorated and protected by stone sculptures of a tiger.

V Ancient China Tiger , as well as dragon , phoenix and turtle , - one of four sacred beings ... The dragon was considered a symbol of spring and east, phoenix - summer and south, tiger - autumn and west, turtle - winter and north. They were depicted on battle banners - while during the movement of the troops, the banner with the image of Zhong-yao (Phoenix) was carried in front, Xuan-yao (Turtles) - behind, Qing-lun (Green Dragon) - on the left, and Bai Hu (White Tiger) - on right.

Protector gods were depicted as riding on tigers... The Chinese god of wealth rides a tiger guarding coin chests. One of the most famous chinese gods of wealth- this is Cai Sheng Ye, who is often depicted wearing a robe with the image of a dragon and sitting on a tiger... They say in favorable time it brings great prosperity, and in bad times protects the family from poverty.

Later Tiger and Green Dragon changed places: the yang hieroglyph began to denote the courageous nobility of the tiger, especially since its forehead is decorated with a sign that recognizes the hieroglyph "van", which means "king". When a tiger has yang symbolism, then, in accordance with Chinese symbols, it personifies power, courage, military force and the rage he needs as a protector.

Thus, it becomes clear that interpretation of the image of a tiger in art depends on his environment. For example, the image of a tiger (yin) in a bamboo grove (yang) in ancient China symbolized a spoiled, sick society: that is, darkness that has taken root in the realm of light. Likewise, in the Japanese tradition, the tiger in the bamboo grove symbolizes an evil-possessed humanity in an unspoiled world. When the tiger is depicted as fighting the Heavenly Dragon (symbol of yang), it becomes the earthly personification of yin.

In an even later Chinese tradition appear five legendary tigers protecting the world from the forces of chaos: White Tiger - from the west, Blue (Green) Tiger - from the east, Red Tiger - from the south. Black Tiger - on the north side. The Yellow Tiger protects the center of the world, that is, China itself. One of the five star palaces is associated with the White Tiger (Bai Hu), symbolizing longevity. He is a symbol of the land of the dead (in China White color Is the color of mourning).

The tiger is a character in many ancient legends, where he often acts as a savior. For example, one fairy tale tells how a woman threw an illegitimate baby in a field, but a tigress found him and fed him. The child grew up and became the first minister of state. A similar story is told about Confucius... They say that in infancy he was so ugly that the parents, unable to look at the child, decided to leave him on the mountain, where he inevitably had to die, but the tiger, or rather, the tigress, saved him.

This animal is in Feng Shui appears as a white tiger, which is so strong that there is no better protection against evil. In Chinese it sounds like Bai-hu and is guardian of the West... The white tiger in China is a symbol of the land of the dead, and as you know in China, white is a sign of mourning. They use the tiger talisman with great care, because it is a very ferocious animal that, when treated this way, instead of protecting it, will release its claws against the occupants of the house. To protect the home, the Chinese do not use tiger mascot, if there is a person in the house who was born in the year of the animal that the tiger uses for food - a boar or a rooster, etc. But for the interior space of the house, the talisman is too strong, and it would be better if you use a sculpture or an image of a tiger when he is sleeping.

V other myths the tiger behaves very differently. According to one of the myths, the tiger killed the mother of four children came to the house and grabbed youngest son... The rest climbed onto the pine tree, but the tiger climbed after them. Then they called the heavenly ruler for help, and he lowered a rope from heaven, along which they climbed up to heaven. The tiger also began to rise, but broke loose and gave up his ghost. One brother became the sun, the other the moon, the third the stars. There was a tale about a brother and sister who, frightened by a tiger, climbed into the sky and became the Sun and the Moon.

V chinese alchemy Tiger symbolizes lead and physical strength ... V Chinese Buddhism Tiger - one of three Insensitive Creatures, personifying anger (along with monkey - a symbol of greed and deer - the personification of lust), as well as the personification of anger.

"Tiger Style" is one of the largest traditional outdoor styles wushu.

In some regions the tiger symbolizes marriage and childbirth... In the provinces Shanghai (Shaankxi) Before entering the groom's house, the bride takes with her two tigers made of dough, for tradition says to hang jewelry with the image of a tiger over the bed of the newlyweds. In the provinces Henan the temple fair is held in the third lunar month, and toy tigers made from various materials are sold everywhere. Many people come to the temple to pray for their child and then bring the tiger toy home. One such toy is usually made of two tigers, as a symbol of a man and a woman. Popular, especially in embroidery, is the plot "Tigress feeding a man."

Was also associated with the tiger fertility cult... In various remote corners of Asia, it was believed that to treat infertility or increase offspring, one should eat tiger meat, sneak in its tracks or wear its skin. For example, chinese goddess Xi Wang Mu, the ruler of the West, fertility and immortality, appears in ancient Chinese sources with tigromorphic features.

Special rituals were associated with the idea of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe immense life force of the tiger not only in China... Karakalpak women believed that getting rid of infertility could be achieved by eating a piece of tiger meat, worshiping its tracks, jumping over the tiger's skin; uzbek women surrounded the hunter who killed the tiger with special respect, etc. The ideas about the tiger known from similar rituals find additional arguments in archaic myth-ritual traditions when it comes to the sphere of fertility, special vitality, and passion.

During the ritual Kyrgyz shamans turned to white tiger... In a number of traditions, the human connection is explained in two ways: on the one hand, the tiger turns into a person or back into a tiger, on the other hand, many tribes originate from the marriage of a woman with a tiger.

In China, the tiger is a symbol darkness and new moon... Associating with darkness, always expresses dark sides of the soul, corresponding to the state that the Hindus defined as tamas and which falls under the general symbolism of the level, also denotes the unbridled expression of the lower forces of instinct. The proposed dual meaning of the tiger is presented in ancient tradition: "He is associated with Dionysus, being a symbol of strength, anger and cruelty. "

One of the first paintings in which there is Tiger were found in korean tombs, presumably belonging to the period of the Goguryeo reign (37 BC - 668 AD).

It was believed that images of tigers guarding tombs... In addition to wall paintings, the tombs contained many household items dating from the Bronze Age (1000 BC - 300 BC), depicting a tiger: mirrors, axes, knives, vessels, bells, weights, decorations, ritual items, etc. The tiger is one of the key subjects in Chinese painting.

There are frequent images of a tiger in Indian art... One of the most famous examples is the wooden mechanized and painted tiger. Sultan's type devouring an English soldier in a red uniform (removed from Srirangapatnam, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum).

V Islam there is a ban on the depiction of living beings, which largely determines the peculiarity of the art of the countries in which Islam was widespread. However, it is for the tigers in Sufism, one of the branches of Islam widespread in Central Asia, a kind of exception was made, and the image of a tiger is found on carpets and fabrics, as well as on the facades of mosques in the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, including one of the mosques of the famous mosque complex on Registan Square.

The images of the tiger were also present in European painting e.g. in African hunting scenes Delacroix and in the picture Peter Paul Rubens"Hunting for tigers and lions" (1618).

Medieval books about animals (bestiaries) sang the "motherly love" of the tigress and reported that the hunters knew how to use it. They threw a round mirror on the ground, and when she looked into it, she thought she saw a tiger cub trying to suck her milk. People who are pursued by the tigress can also be saved due to this trick.

V Western European literature attitudes towards tigers were mixed. So, Rudyard Kipling in The Jungle Book, he portrayed the tiger as an insidious and formidable animal. G.K. Chesterton called the tiger "the personification of woeful grace" (Jorge Luis Borges: Conversations. University Press of Mississippi, 1998). However, the children's writer Alan Milne in his work about Winnie the Pooh, he created an attractive and funny character - Tigger. The tiger is shown in a positive light G.L. Oldie in the story "Hoanga".

Tiger! Oh tiger! The flame is burning
In the thickets on black nights
Whose immortal gaze has received his sight
Is your pattern commensurate?
Among what caves, heaven
The fire blazed your hair?
Who dared, flapping his wings,
Formidable to steal the flame?
By whose art, by whose hand
Is the heart knot twisted tight?
Who made the heart beat
Whose Great Right Hand?
Whose hammer? Which crucible
Did the fury of passion heat up?
Who could have a terrible grip
Squeeze the formidable brain into a ball?
And when, flashing arrows,
The stars came out in tears
Was He pleased with the creation?
Did He create the Lamb?
Tiger! Oh tiger! The flame is burning
In the thickets on black nights?
Whose immortal gaze has received his sight
Is your pattern commensurate?
(William Blake "Tiger")

Strength, ferocity, cruelty, anger, beauty and speed. A bestial and divine symbol of both aggression and protection, especially in the cultures of Asia and India, where the tiger often replaces the lion as the main emblem of greatness and savagery. William Blake in the poem "Tiger" (1794) uses the same symbolism of the bi-unity of this animal, linking it with the dangerous forces of natural instincts. Like a lion, a tiger can symbolize both life and death, both evil and the victory of good. Some gods move on tigers, thus demonstrating their power, for example, the Hindu Durga... Surprisingly, but chinese god of wealth(as mentioned above) also sits astride a tiger, symbolizing in this case excitement and risk (in USA "tiger" Is the slang for the lowest poker trick).

Memorable the image of a hussar-tiger created in the poem "At the Gypsies" (1920) NS. Gumilyov. H.L. Borges which in childhood the first of the animals I saw and remembered a tiger in the zoo, there is a collection of poems "Gold of Tigers". V English speaking countries among the most textbooks is the poem William Blake"Tiger", in which the beast, according to Borges, is represented by "a symbol of evil." There are several of his translations into Russian, including authorship K. Balmont and S. Ya. Marshak(Jorge Luis Borges: Conversations. University Press of Mississippi, 1998).

In the book Vladimir Klavdievich Arsenyev"In the wilds of the Ussuri region" the main character Dersu Uzala, having accidentally killed in his youth a totem animal - a tiger, all his life suffered from guilt and fear of the "master of the taiga". This episode was included in films based on Arseniev's book.

Here is the history of the sign Chinese horoscope Tiger.

Legend of the Chinese horoscope - Tiger

Many, many thousands of years ago, when the world was very young, animals knew how to talk, and people understood them, there was a very curious Tiger. He was very handsome - all golden orange, with a fluffy, long, graceful tail, which he wore with pride.

Once our Tiger was wandering around and wandered into a farm. There he saw Bull pulling a plow followed by a man. Poor Bull strained all his strength, in the midday heat, sweat flowed from him in streams. He stuck out his tongue out of thirst, but endured and worked, and the man, without any pity, drove the poor man away.

After a while, the man tied the Bull to a tree and went to the village to have dinner. The tiger approached the exhausted animal and asked:

Mr. Bull, why are you allowing a person to treat you like this? You are much larger and stronger than this puny creature. You could easily pierce him with horns or break all of his bones with your powerful hooves. But still, you let him put on a yoke and do this for him. hard work under the scorching sun.

Big Bull shook his head sadly and replied: -Yes, Mr. Tiger, you can make fun of me, but you obviously know little about people. The man is small and weak in comparison with me, but he has a very valuable weapon that he will turn against me if I do not obey him.

A valuable weapon? - asked the curious Tiger. - Which?

Man calls it "mind," replied the Bull. - He often says: "I will solve this problem with my mind" or "Nothing beats my wit." Or even: "With my mind I can defeat anyone and anything." So, Mr. Tiger, I am afraid of a man and, of course, I do not want him to get angry and use his wit against me,

What is this mind like? And the human wit that you are so afraid of, have you ever seen? - asked the Tiger.

I don't know, "Bull answered," but sometimes he says that he needs to sharpen his mind, and often laughs at his friend, whom he calls "stupid."

Therefore, the next day, the Tiger waited until the same man went to collect brushwood in the forest. He jumped right on the man and demanded:

Hey, I heard you have a mind ... or wit, what do you call it there? Come on, share with me!

Oh, Mr. Tiger, you scared me so! - said the man. - Good morning! Of course, I would happily share my wit with you. Only I didn't take it with me today. I thought that today it will not be useful to me, and left it at home.

Well, go home and get it! - demanded the Tiger. - I really want to get it and will not leave until you give it to me.

Great, ”the man replied. - I will gladly go home and bring it. But what if you deceive me and do not even wait for my return?

No, I will be here and will not go anywhere, - promised the Tiger.

No, this will not work, - the man persisted. “Let me tie you to that big old tree. Then I will be completely sure that you will be here when I return. If you disagree, I will never go on such a long journey for such a valuable thing as the mind.

The tiger wanted so much to get this wit-wit that he agreed and let the man tie him with a long strong rope to a tree.

I'll be back soon, ”the man said as he left. He soon returned with a torch and began to fold

brushwood around the Tiger. Then he set fire to the branches directly below him.

What are you doing? - Tiger growled, trying to free himself from the ropes.

Use my wits, stupid Tiger! the man shouted back.

But you said you would give your mind to me! the frightened Tiger hissed. - Where is the wit you promised me?

In the head, a stupid animal. My wit is invisible, and it is in my head. I couldn't give it to you even if I wanted to - and I certainly don't want to! - the man laughed, leaving.

When the brushwood started up and the ropes caught fire, long black stripes appeared on the beautiful golden skin of the Tiger. He thought he was going to burn up all over. Then the Tiger realized that Mr. Bull was right when he was afraid of a man and his amazing mind. He regretted that he did not believe the Bull at once and began to compete with the man.

But some boy saved the Tiger. He deftly cut the burning ropes and freed him, so that the fire did not have time to burn all the skin. The boy had a bucket of water, and he helped Tiger to wash.

Thank you, thank you! - breathlessly, said the Tiger, when the boy gave him a drink. - I really thought I was finished. I guess I was stupid when I demanded his wit from that man.

Do not be afraid, Mr. Tiger, ”the boy said quietly. - We humans have another very valuable thing - kindness. I just did a good deed for you. Intelligence is in our heads, and kindness is in our hearts. There she is most needed.

The tiger and the boy put out the fire and said goodbye. Since that time, the Tiger moved to the mountains, since it was more convenient to observe people living in the valley from a height. He did not want to mess with them anymore, says the legend of the Tiger of the Chinese horoscope.

As the years passed, the boy grew up and became a successful merchant. He often crossed the mountains in which the Tiger roamed. His cart, loaded with silks, china and other goods, was driven by two horses. He went to trade in distant cities and villages.

Once a young merchant was watched by a gang of robbers. They jumped out of the ambush and attacked the guy in daylight when he least expected it. He bravely tried to defend himself, but there was one and seven bandits surrounded him.

The merchant had already thought that this was the end of him, but then there was a thunderous growl and a large striped tiger jumped on the bandits and dispersed them. More precisely, they themselves fled without looking back.

You are the boy who saved me from the fire, said the Tiger. “I have come to repay you for your kindness.

Thank you, thank you Mr. Tiger! You saved my life! - the grateful guy bowed.

I may not have your wit, - Tiger winked, - but I have not forgotten about kindness.

With these words, the Tiger disappeared into the forest.

When the young merchant returned to the village, he ordered a life-size portrait of the Tiger from the artist; the skin of this Tiger was covered with black stripes. and to everyone he met, the merchant told that the Tiger saved his life, that the Tiger was courageous and fearless, because he was able to scare away the robbers with his terrible growl.

This is the legend of the Tiger of the Chinese horoscope.

Russian Siberia and northern China in the taiga forests gave shelter to the largest cat on earth - the Amur tiger. This predator is simply huge - its weight reaches 400 kilograms, the length from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail is up to four meters, and the height reaches one meter. There are up to 400 individuals left in the wild, and about the same in zoos. In Russia, measures are being taken to preserve this species, this is the real pride of the taiga forests, real symbol Of the Far East. He is depicted on the flag and coat of arms of Primorsky Krai. In China, this species is protected by very strict laws - a poacher who kills a tiger faces the death penalty.

Peculiarities

There are few tigers left in the world, the Amur species is the smallest, it is under special protection due to a sharp decline in the population.

This species is the most northern, adapted for life in cold winters, for moving on the snow, therefore it has the thickest and longest fur that is able to keep warm well.

Among the six species of tigers, the Amur tiger is the largest, while the Ussuri tiger is the largest big cat on the ground.

The tail is the record holder among tigers, it can reach over a meter in length.

Amur tiger - official name tiger, but sometimes not scientific, but very common names are used in relation to this cat, Ussuri or Siberian.

It is an endangered species listed in the Red Book.

Record-breaking tigers reach a weight of 400 kilograms, and usually an animal reaches a weight of 200 kilograms.

Tigresses are good mothers. They carry babies for five months. Four or five blind and toothless cubs will be born. Feeds up to six months, then teaches hunt for up to a year. For another year, tigers hunt on their own, but live near their mother.

Hunting

Amur tiger - interesting facts about hunting. The tiger has no natural enemies (except for humans), he even hunts bears.

It independently goes hunting at about the age of one year.

Life expectancy in the wild is up to 12 years.

When hunting, it jumps up to seven meters in length.

On average, one individual eats two dozen kilograms of meat, but if it allows hunting trophy, you can gorge yourself on the stock, eating up to 80 kilograms of meat.

Only about ten percent of attacks on prey end in food. And this is despite the fact that he attacks from an ambush, hiding from the victim. The tiger must constantly hunt, while spending a lot of energy on the hunt itself. This cat is having a hard time, given that its hunting grounds are constantly shrinking due to human activities.

The Amur species of tigers very rarely attacks people, while other, more thermophilic tigers attack much more often.

He is very strong, he can pull a horse carcass for half a kilometer without any problems. When hunting, it develops a speed of up to 50 kilometers per hour, but at short distances it can accelerate up to 80 kilometers per hour. Of the predators, only the cheetah can run faster. For a successful attack, they must sneak at least 25 meters.

Loves to hunt ungulates. To feed himself, he needs about 50 deer, wild boars, roe deer, and red deer a year. In extreme cases, it attacks livestock.

Bypassing its hunting grounds, the tiger walks up to 40 kilometers a day. Until the moment of a successful hunt, the animal can overcome up to 600 kilometers in a few days. Animals need more than one hundred square kilometers to feed themselves, but often hunting territories cover a large area.

Males defend their territory from competitors, if necessary, get into a fight. But females with cubs are not touched, so tigresses can enter the territory of the tiger for hunting. But the territories of two females never overlap.