QuickCheck: Is it true that no two tigers have the same stripes?

Their glorious striped coat of fur is one of the things we love about tigers. Does each tiger have its own unique set of stripes?

VERDICT:

TRUE

Yes, every tiger is one-of-a-kind, with its own set of stripes.

It is often likened to a human’s fingerprints by experts, seeing that such patterns are unique to an individual tiger.

“Most tigers have more than 100 stripes, and no two tigers have the same stripes,” read the information on the Zoo Negara website about this endangered animal.

Another interesting fact is that a tiger’s saliva is antiseptic, coming in handy when it has to clean its wounds.

“A tiger marks its territory by spraying trees and bushes (contained inside the territory) with its urine, and also leaves deep scratches on tree trunks,” said the national zoo, adding that such big cats also love water and are good swimmers.

The mighty tiger's roar can also be heard from over a mile away (about 1.6km).

But much needs to be done to protect the tiger, with only about 3,900 left in the wild, based on figures from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

“In some areas, including much of Southeast Asia, tigers are still in crisis and declining in number,” read the WWF website.

References:

http://zoonegaramalaysia.my/didyouknowtiger.html

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger