The biggest cats on Earth are tigers. Nowadays, several subspecies of different sizes and with fur of various shades are known. Three of them are extinct. The Balinese tiger deserves special attention. It was exterminated by man in the last century. This representative of the cats is considered to be the smallest tiger that existed on Earth.
Origin
There are two theories about the origin of this subspecies. Supporters of the first tend to think that the Balinese and Javanese tigers originally had a common ancestor. However, during the Ice Age they were isolated from each other on different islands. Thus, a Balinese subspecies was formed on one, and a Javanese subspecies on the other.
According to the second theory, the ancient ancestor of these tigers came to a new habitat from other lands, crossing the Bali Strait, which stretched for 2.4 km. This statement completely refutes the well-known myth that absolutely all cats are afraid of water.
External description. Reproduction
The Bali tiger was different from its relativessmall sizes. In length, males reached 120-230 cm, females were smaller, only 93-183 cm. However, even such dimensions of the predator instilled fear in the local population. The weight of the animal did not exceed 100 kg for males, and 80 kg for females.
Unlike other relatives, the Bali tiger had a completely different fur. It was short and deep orange in color. The number of bands is less than usual, sometimes there were dark spots among them.
The female's pregnancy lasted 100-110 days, there were always 2-3 kittens in the litter. They were born blind and helpless, weighing up to 1.3 kg. But closer to the year they themselves tracked down prey and hunted. However, they stayed with the tigress for up to 1.5-2 years. These felines lived for about 10 years.
Habitat
The habitat of the Bali tigers was Indonesia, the island of Bali. This subspecies has never been seen in other territories.
He led the same lifestyle as the rest of the felines. The animal preferred a solitary and wandering lifestyle. He stayed in one place for several weeks, then went in search of a new one. Extinct tigers marked their territory with urine, which showed that specific places belong to a certain individual.
They were big water drinkers. In hot weather, they constantly bathed and swam in reservoirs.
Food
The Bali tiger was a predator. He hunted alone, but in rare cases during the mating period he went for prey with his female. If there were several individuals near the captured animal at once, then it was a tigress with a grownoffspring.
Like other members of the species, it was a fairly clean cat that monitored the condition of its fur by periodically licking it, especially after meals.
During the hunt, two methods were used: sneaking up and waiting for the victim. The camouflage color helped the tigers in tracking prey. Most often they hunted near water bodies and on trails. Creeping up to the prey with small cautious steps, the tiger made several big jumps and overtook the prey.
During the wait, the predator lay down, and when the prey approached, it made a quick jerk. In case of a miss of more than 150 meters, he did not pursue the animal.
When hunting successfully, like other big cats, the extinct subspecies of tigers gnawed the throat of its prey, often breaking its neck in the process. He could eat up to 20 kg of meat at a time.
When moving the killed victim, the predator carried it in his teeth or threw it behind his back. The tiger went hunting at dusk or at night. All the techniques used were the result of the mother's training, and not an innate form of behavior.
In its territory, the Balinese tiger was the top of the food pyramid, rarely anyone could compete with this beast. For him, only people were dangerous.
Extinct species
The Bali tiger is exterminated by man. Officially, the first representative of the subspecies was shot in 1911. It was an adult, very interested in the local population. After this incident, a mass hunt began for the predator, livestock were often used as baits.
The last tiger was shot on September 27, 1937, since then the subspecies has been declared extinct. It is known that it was a female. There are even real photos of local residents and a dead animal. It is believed that several individuals could still live up to the 50s.
The main reasons for the extinction of the Bali tiger are the destruction of the habitat by humans and the barbaric (at that time popular) hunting for a predator. Most often he was killed because of the valuable fur.
Officially, hunting was banned only in 1970, and the animal was also mentioned in the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
In the culture of the inhabitants of Bali, the tiger occupied a special niche. He was treated with respect. He met in folk tales, his image was also used in local art.
However, there were those who were wary and even hostile towards the animal. After the extermination of the beast, many documents and other materials related to the tiger were destroyed.
In England, the British Museum has fragments of skeletal bones, three skulls and two skins of an extinct predator.
