Tiger 老虎 (4)

The white Bengal tiger is very rare. It can’t grow orange fur. Its white coat, brown stripes, and icy blue eyes are quite a sight. You won’t find a white Bengal tiger in the wild. But you might be able to see one in a zoo.

Tigers are endangered. About 100 years ago, there were 100,000 tigers in the wild. Today there are less than 3,500. There are six different kinds of tigers today. (以前以为马来虎是印支虎，后来发现它自己是一个亚种，因此实为六种老虎。）Three other kinds of tigers have already become extinct. 

Why are tigers disappearing? Tigers are losing their habitat. People cut down trees. Tigers live and find food in the forests. When forests disappear, so do tigers. People also kill tigers for their body parts. Their skins are used for rugs. Other parts are used to make traditional Chinese medicines. Killing tigers is against the law. But it still happens today.

Though tigers are in trouble, there is good news. New forest areas for tigers have been found. Also, people are planting trees where forests have been cut down. You can help, too. Tell your family and friends about what you have learned. We can all work together to keep tigers on our planet!