FIVE BIZARRE FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT TIGERS

1. A tiger’s stripes are imprinted on its skin

Most cats and dogs look like plucked chickens beneath their thick layer of fur, but if you shaved a tiger bald, you would find marks on its skin that perfectly reflected those on its coat. Do not attempt this at home.

2. Tiger urine smells like popcorn

Super weird, but true – according to WWF, tiger pee emits the scent of buttered popcorn, which also serves as a warning that you’re entering a tiger’s territory. So if you’re wandering through the jungle and get a strong whiff of Butterkist, it might be wise to go back the way you came.

3. Tigers and lions can breed

And the results are... unsettling. “Ligers” are the offspring of a male lion and female tiger, and if you switch the sexes the result is called a “tigon”. A visual mishmash – both breeds can have spots and stripes – ligers in particular are often much larger than their parents, which makes them very large indeed.

4. There are more tigers in the USA than the rest of the world combined

This might have been more surprising in the era before Tiger King, but we still find it mind-boggling that these big beasts of Asia are more numerous in the back yards of Texas, than their designated national parks. Estimates suggest around 5,000 tigers live in captivity across the United States, a hefty chunk more than the 3,000 to 4,000 individuals that still roam the wilds.

5. Every tiger has a unique set of stripes

Like a feline fingerprint, no two tigers bear the same pattern – a useful tool for conservationists in need of tiger ID. When mummy tiger tells baby tiger they’re unique and special in their own way, she is biologically correct.

Q: WHERE DO MICE PARK THEIR BOATS? A: AT THE HICKORY DICKORY DOCK.