Social History

The tiger is not a domesticated animal, it is wild and native to Asia, but can also be found in Turkey, India, Russia and Africa.  Since the beginning of mankind, tigers have been seen as fascinating creatures due to their magnificence and remarkable qualities.  They have been used in mythology, and used as powerful symbols in ancient Asia.  For example, the tiger is one of the 12 animals of the zodiac created in ancient China, and in Buddhism, the tiger is one of the 3 senseless creatures, representing anger.  Tigers were a very important part of life in ancient times, and are still regarded as magnificent beings.  The first field study that dealt with tigers, Bengal tigers to be more specific, was done in 1967 by George Schaller.  This study examined the behavior and ecology of wild Bengal tigers.  His study was then followed by others documenting the social dynamics of these wild tigers.  We know and have studied the most about Bengal tigers, other tiger subspecies have not yet been studied with such detail.  Tigers are used for their skins, bones, teeth, and claws on the black market.  This market for tigers has grown so large that it has been made illegal to sell these goods because of endangerment of the species.

Sources: http://www.savetigersnow.org/problem; http://www.lions.org/tiger.html; http://www.tigerlink.org/husbandry/husman1.htm