Right now it's about 10 degrees Fahrenheit here in New Jersey, and the last time I remember it being this cold was on a day last year when I decided to visit the Bronx Zoo. Being that it was so cold there weren't many people around at 10 AM, but the Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) were up and active. The female pictured above was named Zeff (she was about 13 years old when I took the photo), and it seemed that I caught her attention for a moment or two. It's a bit disconcerting to have a tiger staring at you while she scratches her claws on a log, but as cold as it was I would much rather be able to get up close to the glass and watch a tiger on a freezing morning than fight the crowd to see an overheated cat in the August humidity.
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Tigers are the largest of the big cats in the Panthera genus which also includes the Lion, Jaguar, and Leopard.
Thanks to Allie, for this lovely way to waste time: a test for your animal personality.
Here's my results:
I just felt a chill down my spine.
Great photo! If I was out strolling along the Amur River, and saw the tiger looking at me that way, I'd probably wet myself.