Can you find a Tiger in Africa?

You can surely imagine the Tiger galloping alongside the zebras and giraffes of the African savannah. The big cat is often the subject of much misunderstanding, so many people are still mistaken about its land of origin.

But where does the Tiger came from? And on which continent does it live in the wild?

These are the questions we will answer in this article. You may think you already have the correct answer, but you are likely completely wrong on this subject.

Asia, Africa, South America, and even Eastern Europe are territories capable of hosting this striped predator. However, not all of them have the chance to see the Tiger treading their soil and hunting with elegance its future preys. Due to its rarity and power, several countries would love to see the Tiger thrive in the wild on their land.

If you are curious enough to question your preconceived notions, we invite you to read the rest of this unique report!

The Tiger is not native to Africa

1) The African Tiger is a preconceived idea

Indeed, the African Tiger is a pure invention; it has never existed either today or in the past. We do not know exactly where this idea came from, according to which the big cat would come from Africa, even if the presence of the Lion on this continent must have played a role in the minds.

Because people have an unfortunate tendency to imagine the Lion and the tiger as two overpowered cousins, reigning as masters on the same territory.

But this is not the case because these two cats do not live on the same land. Except for the Gir forest in India, which is the only place on earth where they live together, the two hunters live each on their respective continent.

According to scientific studies, the feline family originated in Asia. The latter would have known two migratory waves in Africa and America following the fall of the oceans. This explains the Jaguar's presence in America and that of the Lion or the Cheetah in Africa.

But in the end, why didn't the Tiger follow the Lion in its migration?

Given the date of this migration (several million years ago), the information is necessarily lacking in precision and accuracy. However, the fossils found tend to prove that the Tiger did not need to migrate to new territories.

If the species has survived today, present-day Asia was the perfect land for the big cat. The animals' movement is often explained by a lack of prey or an environment that has become unlivable for them.

Anyway, if the different felines look like they do today, it is because they have perfectly adapted to their environment. The Tiger's camouflage is ideal for environments where the vegetation is dense, but it is much less effective in large desert areas. If the Tiger had migrated to Africa, it would not have looked at all like it does today.

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 2) The striped fawn is endemic to Asia

Besides not belonging to Africa, the Tiger is only found in Asia and nowhere else. It is a species endemic to the Asian continent, and it can be found in a good number of countries. So much so that there are now 13 countries where the big cat lives in the wild.

Among these countries, we can mention India, the home of the Bengal Tiger, or Russia, which has the famous Siberian Tiger. There are no less than nine different subspecies of Tigers that continue to exist on these lands. Thanks to its presence in the whole of Asia, the big cat has given rise to several stories and legends among the local populations.

However, the cultural distance between these countries of South and East Asia makes that even today, people ignore that the Tiger lives only on this continent. But if the Tiger has managed to travel from one country to another, why hasn't it populated other more distant lands?

Well, as surprising as it may seem, he did! Indeed, the Tiger has existed in Europe and, more precisely, in Eastern Europe, around the Danube banks. Although it dates back to many centuries ago, various writings and testimonies described the big cat's presence in this area.

At that time, today's large cities were not yet there, which explains why the Tiger settled in this quiet and marshy area.

On the other hand, Europe seems to be the only continent, apart from Asia, conquered by the striped fawn. Perhaps the latter did not have the time or the opportunity to establish itself in Africa or America. As this question requires going back millions of years, we can't be sure.

The Great Cat and the African territory

 Even if the Tiger has never existed in the wild in Africa, it can still be found in captivity. Indeed, South Africa is the only country, according to our research, to have a few Tigers in one of its reserves.

Therefore, it is not wrong to say that some Tigers reside on African lands even if they are not native.

As for this reserve is China that decided to export 2 Indochinese Tigers to try to save this critically endangered species. By doing so, they hope to protect the last remaining members of the species from threats in China, such as poaching for traditional medicine.

Other Tigers owned by wealthy Africans must also exist when you know how many inordinate things some rich people can own. There is no doubt that some of these carnivores can be found in the home of a dictator or a big boss.

The African Savannah: A perfect environment for the Fawn?

But then, won't the Chinese Tiger have trouble adapting to thelocal wildlife?

Following their implantation, and increased surveillance was carried out to see their evolution within the African savanna. According to the Chinese government, they have adapted wonderfully to the conditions of their new habitat and have even managed to hunt their first prey.

This initiative to save this species from extinction seems promising. The vast lands of South Africa allow us to respect the enormous range of 150km² that the Tiger needs. Even if this new environment is the opposite of the tropical forests used to evolve, it avoids poaching for its fur, still very present in China.

Because it is hunting that mainly affects this animal and other threatened species. In South Africa, this scourge is less widespread, and anti-poaching measures are in place. If a lot of work is done to protect the tigers, there is no reason why they should fail in acclimatizing to their new environment. The striped fawn is endowed with a remarkable capacity for adaptation, making it a super-predator no matter the environment in which it evolves.

Thus, in a few years, it may be possible to see the two biggest cats in the world sharing African territory. Watching the Tiger galloping alongside rhinos, antelopes, or giraffes must be an unforgettable experience for anyone who lives it.

To summarize

As you have seen, we often tend to have wrong ideas about the Tiger. Contrary to what common thought suggests, the Tiger has never existed in the wild in Africa. It would seem that childish representation of the big cat in the heart of the African savannah fuel this common mistake.

However, even if the Tiger is an endemic animal species in Asia, it is still possible to observe it in some parts of South Africa. The animal evolves well on the African continent but exclusively in captivity.

It is in a will to revive the species of the Indochinese Tiger that China has sent some specimens in reserve. In doing so, scientists hypothesized that the country's arid but prey-rich environment would be favorable to the Tiger's survival.

Although the small number of Tigers sent did not seem to be enough to revive the lineage viably, the experiment proved promising.

In the end, with this article, you have considerably broadened your knowledge about the Tiger, and more generally, about the animal world. Please don't stop there; come and deepen your understanding by consulting our latest writings below.

If that is not enough for you, you can take a look at our paintings directly inspired by representations of the African Tiger. This way, you will be able to impress your friends and family with a whole bunch of anecdotes about the false beliefs that revolve around the big cat and the African savannah!