The south China tigers

The South China tiger or South Chinese tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis)-
is a subspecies of tiger native to the forests of Southern China. The South China tiger is one of the smaller and the most critically endangered of the living tiger subspecies. Experts maintain that there are fewer than 20 of these tigers in the world. One was recently born in a reserve in South Africa in November 2007, the first to be born outside China.
The South China tiger has been recently listed as one of the world's 10 most endangered animals.

Physical characteristics

Male tigers measure about 2.6 m from head to tail and weigh about 150 kg. Female tigers are smaller, measuring about 2.3 m long. They weigh approximately 110 kg. This tiger is an estimated 2-6 ft tall.

Diet

The South China tiger, like all other subspecies of tigers. They livestock like cows and goats. They are expert hunters and will stalk and follow their prey for hours. South China tigers have an average speed of around 35mph, faster than most of its prey species, but they do not have enough stamina to maintain their top speed for long. These big cats kill their prey with a bite to the back of its neck (usually for medium-sized prey) or use the suffocation hold on the prey's throat

Habitat

The South China was formerly abundant in South China. Today it's wide range has been reduced to three isolated areas in south-central China. They like other tiger subspecies, live in jungles. South China tigers also love spending time in water.


Persecution and extinction

In 1959, Mao Zedong, in the time of the Great Leap Forward, declared the tiger and other predators such as leopards and wolves to be pests and ?enemies of the people?; as a result, several ?anti-pest? campaigns started. The tigers then were considered pests because they attacked farmers and villagers. The Chinese government then reversed the classification of the tiger, banning hunting altogether in 1977, but this seems to have been too late. The South China tiger has not been seen in the wild for more than 20 years.[10] Today the estimated population of the South Chinese subspecies is 20-30 individuals found only in the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang.