South China tiger
Key Facts
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Common Name
South China tiger, Amoy tiger, Xiamen tiger; Tigre (Fr); Tigre (Sp)
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Scientific Name
Panthera tigris amoyensis
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Status
IUCN: Critically Endangered D CITES: Appendix I
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Population
Perhaps a few individuals
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Habitat
Southeast China-Hainan Moist Forests
In the News
Possibly extinct in the wild?
Thought to be the ancestor of all tigers, the South China subspecies was estimated to number 4,000 in the early 1950s. But following decades of extermination as a pest, the subspecies has now not been sighted in the wild for more than 25 years, and is believed by many scientists to be “functionally extinct”. A few individuals may remain, but hope for their survival is slim as there is neither adequate habitat nor prey left.
Physical Description
ColourThe upper part of the animal ranges from reddish orange to ochre, and the under parts are whitish. The body has a series of black striations of black to dark grey colour.
Habitat
Biogeographic realmIndo-Malayan
Range States
China
Geographical Location
China
Ecological Region
Southeast China-Hainan Moist Forests