"We got a tiger."
*inaudible screaming*
Carol Baskin
was wrong.
Tigers are not big, cuddly cats.
And as you find yourself
with one on top of you,
you'd better hope
you don't become a rodent
in this deadly game
of cat and mouse.
The tiger is the largest
of the cat family, Felidae,
and rivals the lion, Panthera leo,
in strength.
If you think you can
take on a tiger,
consider the fact that
they are 20 times stronger
than the average human.
In the words of Joe Exotic,
tigers are, "A real-life tornado,
and there ain’t nothin’ you can do
besides protect yourself."
Remember,
it’s not just humans
that are at a disadvantage
in a tiger attack.
A 2011 incident
where a tiger killed a lion with
one swipe should remind you
how deadly these creatures can be.
These are impressive.
The largest tiger in history
weighed 550 kg (1,212 lb).
An adult tiger is 70% muscle mass,
can weigh up to 360 kg (794 lb),
and measures 3.2 m (10.8 ft) long.
And tigers have 17 cm (7 in) teeth,
and 7.5 cm (3 in) claws.
A tiger can behead a human
with one swipe.
The largest of the tiger family,
the Siberian, Amur Tiger,
averages around 300kg (660 lb).
the male Bengal,
averages around 270 kg (595 lb),
If you're thinking
of running away,
tigers can run up to
64 km/h (40 mph).
According to the book
“Tigers of the World,”
373,000 were killed
by tigers between 1800 and 2009.
To avoid becoming
part of this gruesome body count,
what should you do?
If you are lucky enough
to see the tiger before it spots you,
stay quiet, and don’t move.
Movement will alert the tiger,
and turn its deadly attention to you.
Even if the tiger looks old,
injured, or sick,
it is still a threat.
Even the weakest tigers
are extremely dangerous.
They have less ability to hunt
big animals,
but you're an easy target.
Panicking is the worst
thing you can do.
This is not a good time
to give in to your
fight or flight response.
Back away slowly,
without making eye contact,
and do not show your back
to the animal.
As soon as the tiger
is out of sight,
get out of there
as fast as you can.
If a tiger spots you,
and you are with a child,
put it on your shoulders.
It will make you look
bigger and more intimidating.
The same goes for
if you have an adult with you,
and can get them on your shoulders.
Do anything you can do
to make yourself look larger,
so the tiger thinks you’re a threat.
Stand tall and puff yourself up.
Don’t crouch, or sit,
or do anything to make yourself
look small,
as that will encourage the tiger
to attack you.
No matter
how scared you are,
do not pee your pants.
Tigers are attracted to urine.
The tiger might think
you're marking your territory,
and take it as an act of aggression.
That might get you killed.
There are more tigers in captivity
than there are in the wild.
In the U.S. alone,
there are approximately
5,000 captive tigers,
but only 3,900 globally.
Despite what you’ve seen on TV,
tigers are not meant to be pets.
Just ask Las Vegas showmen
Siegfried & Roy.
Their careers were cut short
when a white male tiger,
named Mantacore,
mauled Roy Horn.
The tiger dragged
Roy's unconscious body backstage
in 2003.
Animal handler Chris Lawrence
believes that the showman
had neglected to spend time
with the animals for several years,
weakening the necessary bond between
the tiger and the performer.
"Many of the handlers thought that
Roy was treating the cats
more like props
than he was respecting them
for who they were," said Lawrence.
There are many different stories
about what happened that night.
But they all end the same way,
with Horn being rushed to the hospital
for extensive sur​gical treatment.
Horn lost
an enormous amount of blood
from the large
puncture wounds on his neck,
and needed brain surgery.
Today, Horn is able to walk
short distances without his scooter,
and can talk, with difficulty.
Although he wasn't physically hurt,
as a result of the attack,
handler Lawrence experienced
severe PTSD,
alcoholism,
night terrors,
and suicidal tendencies for 15 years.
And remember,
Roy Horn and Chris Lawrence
are both professionals,
who spent years of their lives
working with tigers.
Despite the myths that
all cats fear water,
tigers enjoy it.
They're great swimmers,
and enjoy cooling themselves off.
So, jumping into water
will not be a safe place to hide.
Unlike other jungle cats,
tigers cannot climb trees.
So you may be safe,
if you climb high enough
that the tiger can't reach you.
If you encounter a tiger
that has escaped from captivity,
don’t assume it’s
domesticated and friendly.
They are as dangerous
as a tiger in the wild.
Don’t try to play dead.
This will make you
an easy meal.
If a tiger has you in its grips,
stick your hand right into its mouth.
That’ll trigger a gag reflex,
stopping it from biting.
The good news is,
tigers are more afraid
of attacking a human than a lion,
especially if they aren’t
familiar with humans,
and haven't learned how easy it is
to catch and kill us.
But if you should
come across a lion,
you'll need some
different survival strategies.
Find out more about that
right here
on How to Survive.
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