Why Are There No Tigers In Africa?

Posted by Adam Smith on 12th Sep 2017

Despite being home to elephants, lions, hippos, and more dominant animals, there have never been any wild tigers in Africa.

It’s surprising to many. As part of the Felidae family of cats, ancestors of tigers originated in Africa. The family includes cheetahs, lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars - some of which do live in the African plains.

However, it is believed that one branch of the family travelled to Asia roughly two million years go, eventually evolving into the striped predators that sit atop the food chain in areas of India, Nepal and elsewhere today.

Although this is the common belief among researchers, no one knows for definite why tigers chose long ago to migrate from their homeland and never return.

J.L. David Smith, a professor at the University of Minnesota's department of fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, explained: “One can offer a series of speculations about why tigers did not get to Africa, but they are all speculations.”

Wildlife Conservation Society figures show that there are currently around 3,000 tigers left in the wild, and the animals are endangered in Asia as a result of poaching, loss of habitat, and a lack of prey.

Could tigers survive in the wild in Africa?

Since relatives such as leopards and lions live in Africa, many have wondered whether tigers could also live on the continent, but it’s unfortunately impossible to give a conclusive answer.

In September 2003, two captive-born South China tiger cubs were introduced to South Africa by Li Quan, an ex-fashion executive from Beijing, and her husband Stuart Bray, founders of the Save China’s Tigers Foundation.

The two purchased 30,000 hectares of land in South Africa for the breeding project, which aimed to rewild them in the continent before moving them back to China, but it was met with criticism after several of the cubs died.

Due to the vast differences between Asia and Africa’s ecosystems, we may never know whether or not tigers could survive on the continent.

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Caitlin Coyle commented 3 months ago

how maney lions in afica

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J. Alan S. commented 3 months ago

It is a good thing. There are no tigers there. If there were, we would be sent to kill them for them along with digging their whales building their schools, providing the medicine, giving them food and everything else that we do to allow them to continue life.

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[email protected] commented 7 months ago

The tiger is the most beautiful and magnificent example of the cats. Graceful, strong, powerful and kingly. The lion is king of the African jungle. The tiger is the king in Eurasia!

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Victoria Robersohn

replied 5 months ago

Lions don't actually live in any African jungles.

Pand commented 8 months ago

Are people here (commenting) not aware that there is a large expanse of rain forest and mountain ranges in Africa?

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victor

replied 7 months ago

yes especially Nigeria, but the challenge is poachers

Joyjoy commented 9 months ago

Just simple question , (religion )
Consider there was no dessert ?
If Noahs boat landed in mount Ararat, Wouldn't most of the animal live in the middle east ? It wasn't a dessert
Why are most of the worlds animals found in Africa ?
Did the tiger and bear head north and east ? I think lion ?
I think the boat landed in Abyssinian (Africa today )
A few animal left but the majority stayed in the mother land ,,(Abyssinian)
Why??

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seepheerd

replied 8 months ago

Noah's ark.... still you believe in fairy tale?

Martin Martin

replied 8 months ago

@joyjoy

Dessert or Desert?

Jimmy

replied 6 months ago

The Amazon puts the lie to YOUR claim!

Victoria Robersohn

replied 5 months ago

i would hate to consider there was no desset. i love sweets!

Olakitan commented 9 months ago

Ekun.. according to folktales, there were tigers in African rain forests. Although extinct now. So when you describe Africa, don’t limit it to the Sahel and savanna.

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Michael P

replied 6 days ago

Do you suites more than deserts however? Lol

Sara Paul commented 10 months ago

There are no tigers in Africa because they are not native to the continent. Tigers are found in Asia, where they are the largest member of the cat family. They once ranged from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean to the far east of Russia and China, but today their range has been dramatically reduced due to habitat loss and hunting.

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Sabi sands lions commented 10 months ago

There is a place called Tiger Canyon Private game reserve in South Africa where they have tigers. They have introduced tigers there but there is no lions or other predators, there is cheetah but in different areas. Tigers as being solitary cats wont make it in the savanna, there is fierce competition between predators as lions, wild dogs, hyenas which are social preparators and live in groups . So there could be a reason why the migration took part and they never came back to Africa

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Anthony Osazee Sylvester commented 11 months ago

I'm from Nigeria, we have a name for each of the big cats, including tigers in my language. It is funny and very questionable for my language to have a name for tiger if tiger were never existing in Africa. Those animals that were not indigenous to Africa always have borrowed English names for them but that of the tiger and other big cats are different, they have individual indigenous names for them. It is my belief that all the cats were once in Africa.

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Dave commented 11 months ago

Tigers cannot survive in Africa and reason is simple,Lions.
They are similar in structure to the lions but the lions hunt,move in groups,have pride. The leopard is solitary and got safety in the trees while the cheetah have safety in speed leaving the tiger with nothing and at the mercy of the lion and the regular bandits,hyenas.

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BEEWHITE

replied 3 weeks ago

Hmmm... You're damn right...I love this comment

Melanie commented 1 year ago

Its amazing to read this. Some of the folktales in my community passed down generations as all African folktales are... mention an animal quite similar to the tiger. The description is unlike any animal existing currently in the African Savannah.

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Kelechi. commented 1 year ago

It could be there was stiff competition on the African plains coupled with the African climate. When they emigrated to Asia, the competition was less and the environment more conducive. As a result, there was no need to return to African plains.

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Mr Joseph commented 1 year ago

I still find it difficult to believe that tiger don't exist in Africa, because there is a Tale of some particular group of hunters who killed a tiger in my village,

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Alnasir Rajan

replied 9 months ago

Where is your village in Africa?

Shawn Sly commented 1 year ago

I think tigers can't survive in Africa because they're lone hunters lions run in prides and hyenas run in clans its a death sentence for tigers

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keira commented 1 year ago

its realy coollllllllllllllllll

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EMPIRE BEAUTY commented 1 year ago

No tigers in Africa.

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Zawher Hadi commented 1 year ago

I find it hard to believe tigers 'emigrated' to Asia from Africa, never to return. I believe tigers never lived in Africa in the first place. However, I do not doubt their evolutionary path within Asia to result in their current form.

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Minny

replied 1 year ago

They emigrated from Africa, then adapted to their environment. The article mentions this if you read it.

Baba vee

replied 1 year ago

But why does it have a Yoruba name

Baba vee

replied 1 year ago

But why does it have a Yoruba name

Juan commented 1 year ago

Recomiendo la lectura de este post sobre<a href=https://www.eltigre.org/en-africa> los tigres en África </a>. Es realmente bueno para complementar con este artículo.

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Huncho Oriade commented 1 year ago

Interesting

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Joe Umole commented 1 year ago

I really do not understand why there are no Tigers in Africa.

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Jovan Bahizi commented 1 year ago

Thank you for your informative article; it is possible that the Great East African Rift Valley, Continental drift, and the Sahara desert played a role in leaving Africa Tigerless. The Northern part of Africa and Western Asia (Arab Peninsula) is covered by the Sahara, Negev, and the Arabian desert. Tigers with their aquatic and solitary nature could not return successfully to Africa after being carried away on the Asian landmass, and those left behind when Asia moved were eaten by the Africans.

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Sibusiso

replied 1 year ago

Eaten by Africans LMAO.

Victoria Robersohn

replied 5 months ago

What Africans? Do you mean other African animals? There were no African people (hence NO PEOPLE) back then.

harry commented 1 year ago

i love tigers

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Natso commented 1 year ago

Thanks

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TIGER lover from MI

replied 1 year ago

Whst bout Siberian tigers are there only a few left as well ?

Cyril commented 1 year ago

Thanks for the information about tigers that I did not know.

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Tokunboh commented 1 year ago

This is incorrect. There is evidence and at least one documented case of a wild tiger in 1912 in Lagos Nigeria...I have the pictures to prove it.

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el

replied 1 year ago

obviously you cant tell if it is a wild animal or not. of course many tigers have been transferred in Africa for domestic reasons or for entertainment (zoos). did you take a DNA sample to prove it or just a photo?

keira

replied 1 year ago

well thay lyed to you

keira

replied 1 year ago

well thay lyed to you

BEEWHITE

replied 3 weeks ago

Bro... that's scam...Tigers never existed in Africa...If they kill leopard they'll tell you it's Tiger

Mr Spud commented 2 years ago

"A tiger...in Africa? Palin

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nitinkumar commented 2 years ago

Love this. Export to African jungles.

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Josie Ellis commented 2 years ago

Excellent article

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McDennis Atayi commented 3 years ago

It could be due to the harshness of the whether that the Tigers can't survive here?

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Contessa

replied 7 months ago

Your answer is the most logical answer . They can’t adapt to the heat . Duhhh They’re meant for the cooler whether and that’s why the baby cubs they tried to breed died . .

Patrick commented 3 years ago

Is a surprise to me because lions and other wild animals are found in africa. Is a good thing to know that

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Patrick Mulei commented 3 years ago

Apart from Mr Struat Bray's experiment with her wife on the tiger project in South Africa, has there been any other attempt to breed Tigers in Africa Continent? I find it very surprising that tigers cousins-the pantheras(lion, leopard etc survive in Africa) What, then , are the tiger's biological special features that they exhibit??

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Snow Africa Adventure

replied 3 years ago

Great Job

scarlet commented 3 years ago

you are right...

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Lamonte kendrick

replied 2 years ago

Maybe they have chosen the wrong eco sytstem. Tigers may require a more wet tropical environment . the lion is not a desert cat neither of the open plain He is a hunter from a sneak approach.not open areas liken to the lion and the cheetah. He is large but has the surprise attribitutes of the domesticated house cat.

Steven g.

replied 1 year ago

Lions hunt in packs. Tigers hunt alone and don't share their kill unless it's nursing. Their is no comparing the two. Lions are social and live in packs tigers don't!

[email protected]

replied 7 months ago

Male Tigers have a bone on their penis, unlike other big cats, this is something that no one noticed. Do your research, I am not joking. Tigers, although are cats, they differ anatomically.