The Caspian tiger is a formidable predator that died in a fight with people. Description of appearance
The Turanian tiger is officially an extinct subspecies. This fact was documented in 1970.
Based on molecular genetic studies, it is known that it is almost identical to the Amur tiger.
Scientists can call this tiger the Caspian, as it lived off the coast of the Caspian Sea.
Habitat
This subspecies was distributed in Central Asia, Iran and the Caucasus. Loved humid subtropical forests. Lived in reed thickets near the rivers of Central Asia. On Soviet territory, a tiger was seen on the border with Iran; it came from the north of the country. The tiger could also be found in the river valleys of Afghanistan and on the shores of Lake Balkhash.
Appearance
The color allowed the Turanian tiger to blend in with its environment. It was a bright red color with long, narrow and frequent brown stripes, they are distinctive feature of this type. In winter, the fur became thicker and fluffier, and lush sideburns grew.
Parameters of an adult Turan:
- The body length of the male was over two meters, while the females were slightly smaller;
- weighed more than 200 kg.
He was significantly larger than some of his relatives. Also, the Turanian differed not only in size, but also in fur. It was denser and fluffier, not to mention its color.
Lifestyle
The tiger was driving quite active image life. He was able to walk up to a hundred kilometers from his place of residence in a day, and in general he could move thousands away. The Turanian tiger was a natural combination of power and grace, although its jumps were quite heavy. Like all tigers, he loved water very much, despite the fact that he was a big cat. He was able to live up to 50 years.
Nutrition
In fact, the Turan can be considered almost omnivorous. He hunted wild boars, roe deer, saigas, clans and other mammals. Also, jackals or jungle cats could become its prey; it did not refuse birds, rodents, turtles, frogs or insects.
He became a fisherman, grabbing fish in shallow water with his paw. But he ate carrion in very extreme cases. He often feasted on the fruits of sea buckthorn and oleaster. There were cases when he walked for kilometers following his prey.
Reproduction
The Turanians built their houses in impassable places, sheltered from wind and snow. It was mandatory to have water sources nearby. Up to 3 females could live on the territory of a male. The tigress brought children once every two to three years. Pregnancy lasted up to 3.5 months. Each female gave birth to up to 3 cubs, rarely up to 6.
Lactation lasted up to six months. The children's development was accelerated; they grew up quickly and left their home at the age of one. After the birth of her offspring, the tigress does not leave them for several weeks, then does not leave for long, but after six months she could disappear for two days.
The Turanian tiger, a photo of which is in this article, is considered an almost extinct species. All over the planet Lately There are very few predators of this species left. Thirty years ago there were no more than two thousand tigers. Behind last decades their number has increased slightly - to 3,500. Scientists around the world have set themselves the task of doubling their number by 2022.
Where does the name tiger come from?
The name of the Turanian tiger comes from the ancient designation of certain areas. Many scientists call this predator Caspian, as it is found near the borders of Afghanistan, Iran and Transcaucasia.
Ally of the Turanian Tiger
During the struggle for survival, the Turanian tiger had a tiny ally - malaria mosquito. The bite of this insect caused entire epidemics among people. And until humanity learned to cope with malaria, the habitats of the Turanian predator were not touched, and they were not hunted there. After the outbreaks of the disease were eliminated, tigers began to be killed again in very large numbers.
Habitat
It has long been listed in the Red Book turanian tiger. it was previously wide. The predator was found in the foothills of the Tien Shan, in the western valleys of the Central Asian rivers - Syr Darya, Amudarya, Chuya, Vakhshu, Atrek, Murgab, Pyanj and Tenzhen, as well as in Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and all the way to the Caucasus.
The Turanian tiger in Iran lived in the Caspian provinces of Astrabad, Mazendean and Gilan. They are located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The tiger only reached Mount Elbrus to the south. But this predator is no longer found.
Habitats
The Turanian tiger's favorite habitats were near rivers. Predators also thrived in forests, and often made their homes in impassable thickets, where it is difficult for humans to reach.
But in any case, several conditions were necessary for the tiger’s habitat. The first is water, since these predators drink a lot and often. The second is the abundance of food (wild boars, roe deer, etc.) Turanian in winter? We'll find out now. This time of year was difficult for predators. Especially if there was a lot of snow and snowdrifts. Therefore, tigers tried to make their lair in places protected from snow.
Jolbars
Jolbars is also a Turanian tiger. That's what it was called in Central Asia. In Kazakh “jol” means path. And “leopard” is a tramp. In translation it turns out to be “wandering leopard”. And the name was quite consistent with the Turanian tiger. Sometimes he really liked to wander. Moreover, he often frightened people with his unexpected appearance, where he had never been seen before. Turanian tigers could move thousands of kilometers from their native places. They could easily run ninety kilometers in a day.
Description of the Turanian tiger
Turanian tigers were more than two meters in length. Females are somewhat smaller. The weight of a tiger could reach two hundred and forty kilograms. The color is bright red, with narrow and frequent stripes, longer than those of its fellows. The stripes could be not only black, but also brown. In winter, the fur of the Turanian tiger became thicker and silkier. Especially on the belly and nape. The predator wore bushy sideburns.
The tiger's movements were very smooth, despite its powerful physique. The jumps reached six meters in length. Turanian tigers were very graceful. Thanks to their protective coloring, they were perfectly camouflaged, especially in reed thickets. And in the forest, a predator could get close to its prey almost unnoticed.
His jumps were swift. Almost none of the animals could resist the attack of a beast weighing two centners. And during the jump, his stripes merged so that he seemed gray. Life cycle tigers - fifty years.
Nutrition
The Turanian tiger fed on wild boars, roe deer, kulans, saigas and goitered gazelles, attacking them near a watering hole. He loved to hunt Bukhara deer. If the tiger was very hungry, he could eat a jackal. But he ate carrion only in the very as a last resort. He preferred fresh meat.
If he could not catch large game, he did not disdain rodents, frogs, turtles, birds and even insects. Periodically I feasted on the fruits of sea buckthorn and oleaster. Sometimes I fished in shallow water.
Reasons for the disappearance of Turanian tigers
The main reason for the reduction and almost complete disappearance Turanian tiger - pursuit of this animal by man. It was not killed for hundreds of years because of the danger it supposedly posed to humans. The Turanian tiger attracted hunters with its beautiful skin, which was highly valued. They sometimes killed predators even just for fun.
Before settlers arrived in Central Asia, local residents coexisted quite peacefully with the tigers living nearby. Predators tried to avoid people, not to be seen, and never attacked without reason.
The second reason for the decline in the number of Turanian tigers is the depletion of their food source. The number of wild herbivores gradually decreased. And this is the main food for large and powerful predators.
The third reason is the destruction by humans of flora and fauna in the tiger habitat. People cut down forests to cultivate fields. For the same purpose, thickets near rivers were destroyed. And the elimination of foci of malaria also played an important role.
Where can you find the Turanian tiger now?
The Turanian tiger is listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. People are to blame for this, although for them it is great danger I had no idea. The last tigers were seen in the last century, in the late 1950s. This predator should have been included in the Red Book much earlier in order to restore the natural population of the predator.
There is information that he was last seen in 1968 in the Amu Darya region. Therefore, there is a possibility that the Turanian tiger is still alive. It’s just that its numbers have already decreased so much that seeing it has become a rare opportunity.
S. U. Stroganov studied these animals and observed them for a long time. He completed his description of the Turanian tigers with the words that it is possible long years live in the habitat of these predators, but never see them, since they are very secretive, sensitive and brave.
The Turanian tiger in Pakistan can only be found in the western mountainous region. The area is covered with forests and borders Afghanistan. This territory is one of the least accessible for humans. And, accordingly, it is safer for Turanian tigers.
Gladiator tigers
Currently, the Turanian tiger is an endangered species. But before, its numbers were much larger. These animals were even used in gladiator fights. Tigers were caught in Armenia and Persia. Then, bringing them to Rome, the predators were trained for bloody fights. Turanian tigers fought not only with their relatives, but also with lions.
In Rome they tried to organize fights between predators and gladiator slaves. The first Turanian tiger was killed in a cage. The gladiator slaves flatly refused to fight this predator, he caused such fear in them.
Attempts to conserve Turanian tigers
A special reserve has been created in Iran to protect Turanian tigers. Its area is 100 thousand hectares. But for the free and fulfilling life of a predator it is necessary natural area in 1000 sq. km. And the breeding and preservation of Turanian tigers is also complicated by the fact that these animals are lovers of wandering.
Lair of the Turanian Tiger
One of the zoologists managed to find and explore the lair of the Turanian tiger. To get to it, the scientist had to crawl along the predator’s path for almost two hundred meters. This road was a natural tunnel of dense vegetation. The tiger's lair, covered with trampled grass, was always in the shade of trees. The habitat was always adjacent to an area of up to forty square meters. It was littered with animal bones. The smell in this place was very pungent and foul.
Turanian tiger: retroinduction
In Kazakhstan, it is planned to create the Ili-Balkhash nature reserve in the near future. Up to 50,000 hectares will be allocated for the retro-induction of the Turanian tiger. Russia, Kazakhstan and World Society wildlife. The project is planned to be implemented in twenty-five years. Whether the population and numbers of the Turanian tiger will recover is a matter of time, comprehensive actions and funding.
External differences
Sketch of two Turanian tigers
Former habitat of the Turanian tiger
Relationship between tiger and man
In Central Asia, local residents generally believed that tigers did not pose a threat to human life, or, according to at least, they put up with their existence next to their homes. Greatest influence The decline in the tiger population in Central Asia was influenced by the development of this region by Russian settlers, since the Russian administration of the region made significant efforts to destroy these predators. There is a known case when, on February 27, 1883, the chief of staff of the Turkestan Military District, at the request of local residents ordered a roundup of tigers that appeared between Tashkent and Chinaz and extermination dangerous predators. For this purpose, regular military units were used (12th Turkestan battalion).
But to a greater extent this was an indirect influence, since the massive cultivation of floodplain lands in the beds of Central Asian rivers by humans deprived tigers of their main food supply - wild animals (wild boars and roe deer) living in tugai forests.
Legends and myths
Since the tiger is the most formidable predator found in the vastness of Central Asia, many legends and traditions are associated with it, circulating among the peoples who inhabited this region, since its ability to camouflage itself, unexpectedly disappear and appear, created for it the glory of a super being, a werewolf. One of these legends is associated with the name of Alexander the Great, or as he is called in the East - Iskander Zulqarnain. Allegedly, after the conquest of Central Asia and the construction of a city on the banks of the Syr Darya - Alexandria eschata(Khujand) delved into sparsely populated lands in the north beyond the Syr Darya and in the vicinity of modern Tashkent, he hunted tigers with darts.
As you know, in Islam there is a ban on the depiction of living beings, which largely determines the peculiarity of the art of the countries in which Islam was widespread. However, it was for tigers in Sufism, one of the branches of Islam widespread in Central Asia, that a peculiar exception was made, and the image of a tiger is found on carpets and fabrics, as well as on the facades of mosques and madrassas in the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, including one of the madrassas the famous madrasah complex on Registan Square.
Notes
Links
- David Prynn, translation. Marwell zoonews. 2003, no. 116, pp. 10-11. About Caspian tigers
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
- (See what "Turanian tiger" is in other dictionaries: Panthera tigris ), a mammal of the big cat genus. Most major representative family cat lengths body 160-290 cm (sometimes over 3 m), tail up to 114 cm, weight up to 390 kg. The head is rounded. The color is red, with black transverse stripes on the back and... ...
Biological encyclopedic dictionary
There is an assumption that he disappeared forever. But if he did disappear, then it happened quite recently, and the memory of him is still fresh. Animals you'll never see again...
It could be preserved by transferring the last individuals to the zoo, where they would give birth... But, alas, now there are no Turanian tigers left, it seems, even in captivity. Thus, in the Moscow Zoo lived the tame tigress Teresa, presented to the Soviet ambassador to Iran in 1926; she fell at the age of eighteen. In general, tigers can live up to fifty.
Turanian tiger at the Berlin Zoo. Photo 1897
FOR REFERENCE: Turanian or Caspian tiger
Superclass Tetrapods - Tetrapoda, Class Mammals - Mammalia
Order Carnivora - Carnivora
Cat family - Felidae
Subfamily Big cats, or Panthers - Pantherinae
Genus Panthera - Panthera
Tiger distribution
The historical range of the Turanian tiger extended from the foothills of the Tien Shan to the west along river valleys in Central Asia - Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan (here tigers penetrated to Lake Balkhash) and to the Caucasus - south of the main Caucasian ridge. Most often, the tiger was seen in reed thickets along the rivers of Central Asia - Chuya, Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Vakhsha, Pyanj, Atrek, Tedzhen, Murghab, perhaps for this reason, many references say that these were Turansky’s favorite places.
The name of the species itself: Turanian tiger, comes from the ancient name of the low-lying regions of Central Asia. But also, many scientists call this tiger “Caspian”, since it was found not only in Asia, but also off the coast of the Caspian Sea - near the northern borders of Iran, Afghanistan and Transcaucasia.
The Turanian tiger had one tiny ally among the animals in its struggle for survival. This is a malaria mosquito. Malaria has long been the scourge of those places in the Transcaucasus, Central Asia and Iran where people lived last tigers. When its outbreaks in the animal’s range zone were eliminated in our country and abroad, people began to explore tiger support without fear. Now people have finally realized that a few animals cannot threaten humans and livestock.
Extermination
How quickly the extermination of tigers in Semirechye proceeded can be judged from the information provided by A. S. Shostak. According to this author, in 1868 tigers in large quantities were found in the vicinity of villages in the Balkhash region and caused significant harm, exterminating domestic animals. In 1883, several cases of tigers attacking people were recorded in Semirechye. Later, tigers begin to be intensively hunted. According to incomplete data, tigers were killed in Semirechye: in 1884 - three, in 1887 - 16, in 1889 - two, in 1890 - four. In 1890, tigers were still found in Vernensky, Tokmak, Kopalsky, Sergiopolsky and Dzharkentsky districts. In 1891, one tiger was killed, in 1893 - eight, in 1894 - four, in 1895 - one, in 1899 - six, in 1901 - two, in 1904 - two . In 1904, tigers in Semirechye, according to A. S. Shostak, were already rare. For example, in 1903 not a single predator was caught in this country. According to A. S. Shostak, in 1924-1925. in Semirechye only one tiger skin was prepared, and in 1927 two tigers were killed, while he pointed out that “tigers are caught very rarely, by accident.”
But to a greater extent this was an indirect influence, since the massive cultivation of floodplain lands in the beds of Central Asian rivers by humans deprived tigers of their main food supply - wild animals (wild boars and roe deer) living in tugai forests. And although the last specimen of the Turkestan tiger was shot in post-war years However, in genetic terms it is not considered an extinct species, since it is the same species as the Amur tiger.
In addition, the extermination of the tiger was generally encouraged. So, in the 70s of the last century, a bonus of 25 rubles was given for a killed tiger, and at the beginning of this century - 50 rubles. Even back in 1929, a special decree on the extermination of tigers was issued in Semirechye. A reward of 100 rubles was assigned for the killed animal. and it was allowed to be mined by any means. All these measures, as well as other reasons, led to the rapid extermination of the tiger. In the 1930s and later in Central Asia, the tiger continued to occasionally harm livestock production only in Tajikistan and the Amu Darya delta, but the damage it caused was very small.
In the last century, tigers were sometimes killed by poisoning the remains of its prey with poison obtained from the roots of kshala (Eminium Lehmanni); sometimes the animal was guarded near the remains of the prey or on the path in an ambush, protected on all sides by kerege - wooden bars of the frame of the yurt. Kereges were attached to stakes firmly driven into the ground. The tiger was shot from such an ambush and, if he rushed at it, he was killed from the inside with a spear or simply a large knife. Sometimes three links of kerege were tied together, sticks were attached on top, the tops of which were fastened together. A felt felt was tied to the top of the resulting cage. Up to ten people entered the cage, armed with guns and bladed weapons. They walked to the beast's lair, carrying above them what was described protective device(Gern, 1891). They also hunted the tiger on horseback, gathering in parties of 30-40 people, and killed it with arrows from a bow (Eversmann, 1850).
In the middle of the last century, Central Asian hunters used to cut off the claws of a hunted tiger and sew them onto children’s dresses, considering them a talisman that wards off evil spirits from the child.
After the decline of the large khanates, tiger hunting also fell into decline, but with the arrival of the Russians in Central Asia in the 19th century. she accepted again wide sizes. The tigers begin to be pursued by military personnel from border units, special “hunting teams” of regiments and individual hunters, mainly officers. Tracking and hunting tigers (as well as wild boars) helped instill courage in Cossacks and soldiers. The constant hunt for wild boars and tigers in the Syr Darya had an excellent influence on the spirit of the local garrison; it developed courage and combat dexterity in the soldiers, “having become accustomed to fighting dangers, they became undaunted and subsequently glorified themselves in many famous battles on the Syr Darya line” (“Vernensky citizen", 1880).
Cossacks from the garrisons on the Syr Darya and Amu Darya hunted tigers with their guns on alert, or shot at a beast driven out of the thickets while sitting on horseback, but sometimes small teams went at it in real bayonet attack. Almost every such hunt was accompanied by the death or injury of soldiers and officers.
Appearance
Judging by the rare and scattered descriptions, it was over two meters long, the tigress was somewhat smaller. Such a beast weighed up to two hundred kilograms. The Turanian was bright red in color. It was decorated with stripes that were narrower and more frequent, longer than those of other tigers. Sometimes they were not black, but brown. In winter, the fur of the Turanian tiger became thicker and silkier, especially on the nape and belly, and lush sideburns grew, so that the animal seemed shaggy, unlike its shorter-haired relatives.
This subspecies was distinguished by its bright red coat color, as well as the length of its stripes - they were longer and had a brownish tint. In winter, the fur of this subspecies became thicker and fluffier, especially on the underbelly, and lush sideburns also appeared in winter.
The general impression of those who have seen the Turanian tiger in the wild is: a harmonious combination of power and smoothness. His six-meter jumps were leisurely. The grace of the beast is somewhat heavy, but this grace is only a visible part of extremely concentrated strength. Protective painting hid the beast among the yellow reed stalks. In the play of highlights and shadows under the canopy subtropical forest this allowed him to get as close to the prey as possible so that a swift throw would be sure. Rare beast could withstand a mass of two hundredweight, flying in a rapid rush, so that the black and yellow stripes merged and the tiger seemed gray.
Turanian tiger at the Berlin Zoo. Photo 1899
FOR REFERENCE: Let us remember that at present the situation of tigers on the planet is not as deplorable as it was thirty years ago, when there were no more than two thousand tigers in the whole world. Today, the world population of this noble and majestic predator numbers 3.5 thousand specimens. Scientists different countries set a goal to double the number of tigers on Earth by 2022, the next tiger year.
If Kyrgyzstan by then significantly improves the condition of its walnut forests, taking decisive measures to restore its flora and fauna, then there is a high probability that the Turkestan tiger will appear there again. And then the Turkestan tiger will definitely return to us.
What did the Turanian tiger eat?
In the thickets of the floodplains of the Syrdarya, Chu, Ili and other rivers, the tiger apparently hunted saigas when they approached these valleys in large numbers in winter. In floods and ditches, tigers caught fish (carp), which they ate very readily (Smirnov, 1875). As in Tajikistan, in other regions of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, the tiger attacked domestic animals, even camels, and most often dogs and horses. For example, in 1877, beyond Chirchik near Kara-Tyube, tigers dragged all the dogs in one of the villages in winter (Smirnov, 1879). “In those places where there is a lot of Kirghiz livestock, tigers often, especially in winter, live almost exclusively at the expense of the latter” (Alferaki, 1882). Roe deer and wild boars in Transcaucasia, goitered gazelles, saigas and kulans coming from the sands to drink at rivers and lakes in Central Asia, Bukhara Hangul deer became his prey.
Assault on a person
A number of cases of tiger attacks on humans in our country in the last century have been described. They relate mainly to Central Asia (without Turkmenistan) and Kazakhstan. Usually they were attacked by animals wounded by a crossbow, or when being pursued by hunters, and only in very rare cases without a reason from a person. Nevertheless, there are known cases when, in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya, a tiger attacked and tore to pieces a woman walking for firewood, an unarmed officer passing through reed thickets in June ("Vernensky Citizen", 1880); There are known cases of tigers attacking shepherds in the lower reaches of the Ili (A. M. Nikolsky, 1885). Attacks on people Far East noted in the middle and third quarter of the last century. So, in 1867 on the river. Tsimukhe tigers killed 21 people and injured 6 (Przhevalsky, 1870). In our century, we have not had any cases of tigers attacking a person without a reason on his part (Kaplanov, 1948; Abramov, 1960; G.F. Bromley).
Thus, there are no real cannibals, that is, animals for which man, if not the only and main, then at least regular prey, does not exist in our country and has not existed in the foreseeable time. This is due both to the relative paucity of the animal and to the abundance of ungulates in the places where tigers live. Man-eating tigers are, as a rule, animals that are forced to feed on prey that is unusual for them - humans, because they cannot hunt healthy, strong animals. "The cause of this transition is, in nine cases out of ten, wounds, and in one case, old age" (Corbett, 1957). The wound may be the result of an unsuccessful shot by a hunter or the result of a predator attack on porcupines.
Central Asian tiger habitat area in the USSR: 1 - the border of permanent habitat and constant close visits in the 19th century, 2 - places of individual visits to late XVIII, in the 19th, partly in the 20th centuries. (most of the visits in the 20th century were in the area of \u200b\u200bformer permanent habitat), 3 - transitions from the Amu Darya delta to the Syr Darya and to reverse direction and with r. Chu in Semirechye, 4 - not entirely certain information about Zeravshan, unclear penetration limit along Sarys. V. G. Geptner
One of the few color photographs of the Turanian tiger. Taken at Hagenbeck Zoo - a zoo located in German city Hamburg. Photo: 1955
Activity
In Kyrgyzstan, tigers were sometimes found in various mountain zones; in the summer they rose to the border eternal snow. In the Kyrgyz, Trans-Ili and Dzhungar Alatau they were mined in spruce and juniper forests at an altitude of 2500-3000 m above sea level. u. m. In the mountains, tigers were also found along river valleys in thickets of comb grass, tala or sea buckthorn. These predators climbed into the mountains following the wild boars and livestock that moved there for the summer.
The habitats chosen by the tiger roughly corresponded to following requirements:
1) abounded in wild boars and Bukhara deer, which serve as the tiger’s main prey;
2) they were rich in water, which is important for this predator, which drinks several times a day;
3) had dense, impenetrable thickets in which the tiger makes a den;
4) low snow cover.
These environmental features The tiger is explained by its absence in deserts far from water and only temporary or accidental appearance in the steppes and high mountains.
Snowy winters were difficult for the Turanian tiger, and the den was made in places protected from snow. Sometimes the tiger is overcome by wanderlust and begins to wander, puzzling and frightening people with his unexpected appearance in places where he has not been seen. There are known cases when Turanian tigers traveled a thousand kilometers from their native places, and it cost them nothing to cover ninety in a day.
In the century before last, already in the 90s, it was rare in the Issyk-Kul region, in Terskey Alatau, in the Chu Valley and along the Greater Kemin, and disappeared there approximately in the 80s. In the south of this country it was exterminated in the early 90s (Sludsky, 1966).
Animals were also recorded in the Trans-Ili Alatau, in the Chui Valley, in the Kyrgyz (Aleksandrovsky) ridge, in particular on the southern slope to Talas in the area of Talas and in the Talas valley, near Issyk-Kul, in the upper reaches of Naryn, near Narynkol*.
The main tiger population in the Chu Valley was exterminated by 1916-1917.
Further to the east, tigers were found along the Telikul lakes and in the lower reaches of Sarysu and lived along the Chu from the mountains to its lower reaches, and the animals lived there sedentary and were not uncommon at the beginning of our century. The last two tigers on the river. The Chus were killed in 1912, but their presence was noted back in 1929 (two pairs), 1936 and 1937. By 1940 they had disappeared (extinct). Tigers r. Chu and the lower reaches of Sarysu were connected with the Syrdarya. At the beginning of the second half of the last century, tigers were found in the lower reaches of Talas and in the Biilikul lake system, at the northern foothills of Karatau and the Kyrgyz ridge and, apparently, on the slopes of Karatau.
Interesting Facts
The Turkestan tiger, unlike its Indian counterpart, was distinguished by its penchant for traveling; in Kyrgyz, the name Zholbors is translated as “wandering leopard.” In the Turkic dialects “jol”, “jul”, “yul” means “way”, (or striped leopard from the word “yul-yul” striped) so this word can be translated as “stray leopard” or (striped leopard). The etymology of the word is related to behavioral characteristics predator - he was able to travel hundreds and thousands of kilometers from his initial location, and in a day this tiger could travel up to a hundred kilometers.
It was common for him to move 100 kilometers a day. Scientists are confident, based on the complete identity of the genes of the Turkestan tiger and Amur tiger that the Turkestan tiger was a nomadic subspecies in this group of its close relatives, making seasonal journeys along the Silk Road route - from Western Siberia and the Amur region - to the Iranian Highlands - through the territories of present-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Most likely, it was the nut-fruit forests of southern Kyrgyzstan that were favorite place feeding of this beast. And it is possible that he spent time here most of the year. With the onset of summer, some of the animals moved north, in search of prey towards Siberia, and some towards the Iranian Plateau. Thanks to these contacts, the tigers of Eurasia not only improved their genes, but actually remained one species.
In the thirties of the 20th century, tigers were found on the banks of the Amu Darya in the Tigrovaya Balka nature reserve in Tajikistan, near the border with Afghanistan. The last documented cases of tigers appearing on the territory of Soviet Central Asia were recorded in the late forties and early fifties of the last (XX) century. The last tiger to appear on Soviet territory - on the border with Iran, in Kopetdag (Turkmenistan) (January 10, 1954) came here from northern regions Iran.
Legends and myths
The voice of a tiger, heard close, causes numbness and fear. Zoologist K. A. Satunin spells it out as “low, guttural “a-o-ung.”
Since the tiger is the most formidable predator found in the vastness of Central Asia, many legends and traditions are associated with it, circulating among the peoples who inhabited this region, since its ability to camouflage itself, unexpectedly disappear and appear, created for it the glory of a super being, a werewolf.
One of these legends is associated with the name of Alexander the Great or, as he is called in the East, Iskander Zulkarnain. Allegedly, after conquering Central Asia and building the city of Alexandria eskhata (Khujand) on the banks of the Syr Darya, he went deep into the sparsely populated lands in the north beyond the Syr Darya and in the vicinity of modern Tashkent hunted tigers with darts. As you know, in Islam there is a ban on the depiction of living beings, which largely determines the peculiarity of the art of the countries in which Islam was widespread. However, it was for tigers in Sufism, one of the branches of Islam widespread in Central Asia, that a peculiar exception was made, and the image of a tiger is found on carpets and fabrics, as well as on the facades of mosques in the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, including one of the mosques of the famous complex mosques on Registan Square.
An image of a tiger is found on the facade of a mosque in the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan
In Turkestan, in the vicinity of Tashkent, the last tiger was killed by Prince Golitsyn in 1906. Until the mid-60s of the last 20th century, the stuffed tiger he killed adorned one of the halls of the Tashkent Museum of Nature, until a fire in the museum destroyed the exhibition. . A tigress of this species lived in the Moscow Zoo, but died at the age of 18. Last time the Turanian tiger was seen in the Amu Darya delta in 1958. Destruction of tigers in Central Asia V late XIX the first half of the 20th century interrupted this tiger chain and turned the Amur and Mazandaran tigers into two isolated species.
Stuffed Turanian tiger in the Ashgabat museum.
Turanian tiger - (Caspian tiger) (until 1968). This subspecies was distinguished by its bright red coat color, as well as the length of its stripes - they were longer and had a brownish tint. In winter, the fur of this subspecies became thicker and fluffier, especially on the underbelly, and lush sideburns also appeared in winter. The last time the Turanian tiger was seen was in 1968.
In the far west tiger range, in an area separated by mountains and deserts, there lived a tiger, different from all the others. Some zoologists called it "Turanian". Turan - ancient name lowland regions of Central Asia. Others called it the “Caspian Tiger”. He lived not only in Central Asia, but also in the Eastern and south coast Caspian Sea - in Transcaucasia and border Iran. The historical range of the Turanian tiger extended from the foothills of the Tien Shan to the west along river valleys in Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan) to the Caucasus (south of the main Caucasian ridge). The favorite habitats of the animal were reed beds along the rivers of Central Asia - Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Vakhsh, Pyanj, Atrek, Tedjen, Murgab. These tigers have penetrated as far north as Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan.
They lived in tugai and foothill forests, as well as in the humid subtropical jungles of southern Azerbaijan and the northern provinces of Iran and Afghanistan. They made lairs in the most impassable supports. However, they had to meet several conditions. First of all, there must be water nearby - tigers drink a lot and often. Snowy winters were difficult for the Turanian tiger, and the den was made in places protected from snow. In Central Asia, the tiger is called "jolbars". "Jol" is the way in Kazakh. Leopard - “tramp”, “wandering leopard” - this is how this nickname can be translated.
Sometimes the tiger is overcome by wanderlust and begins to wander, puzzling and frightening people with his unexpected appearance in places where he has not been seen. There are known cases when Turanian tigers traveled a thousand kilometers from their native places, and it cost them nothing to cover ninety in a day. In 1922, one such wanderer traveled in a straight line for more than four hundred kilometers and wandered into the outskirts of the city of Tbilisi. Here it is life path interrupted the man. Animal photographers have learned to track down and photograph the most rare, secretive and dangerous animals, but no matter how hard they try to capture the Turanian tiger, they have not yet succeeded and are unlikely to succeed...
There is an assumption that he disappeared forever. But if he did disappear, then it happened quite recently, and the memory of him is still fresh. Judging by the rare and scattered descriptions, it was over two meters long, the tigress was somewhat smaller. Such a beast weighed up to two hundred kilograms. The Turanian was bright red in color. It was decorated with stripes that were narrower and more frequent, longer than those of other tigers. Sometimes they were not black, but brown. In winter, the fur of the Turanian tiger became thicker and silkier, especially on the nape and belly, and lush sideburns grew, so that the animal seemed shaggy, unlike its shorter-haired relatives.
The general impression of those who have seen the Turanian tiger in the wild is: a harmonious combination of power and smoothness. His six-meter jumps were leisurely. The grace of the beast is somewhat heavy, but this grace is only a visible part of extremely concentrated strength. The protective coloring hid the animal among the yellow reed stalks. In the play of highlights and shadows under the canopy of the subtropical forest, this allowed him to get as close to his prey as possible so that a swift throw would be sure. It was a rare animal that could resist a mass of two hundredweight, flying in a rapid rush, so that the black and yellow stripes merged and the tiger seemed gray.
Here's a case from the past. A camel strayed from the caravan and got stuck in a salt marsh. No matter how hard the drivers tried, they could not help the stuck camel. We settled down for the night nearby in the hope of finally getting the camel out in the morning. But at night the tiger did it for them. Despite the proximity of the people, he killed the camel and dragged it one hundred and fifty paces. Roe deer and wild boars in Transcaucasia, goitered gazelles, saigas and kulans coming from the sands to drink at rivers and lakes in Central Asia, Bukhara Hangul deer became his prey. The hungry beast did not even disdain to snack on a jackal or jungle cat. But he rarely ate carrion. Preferred rodents, birds, turtles, frogs, even insects! Sometimes, as if adopting the habits of small cats, he became a fisherman during floods, snatching spawning carp in shallow water. I feasted on the fruits of oleaster and sea buckthorn.
One of the few zoologists who studied the biology of the Turanian tiger in our country was Doctor of Biological Sciences Sergei Ulyanovich Stroganov. The scientist even managed to explore the tiger's lair, and to get to it, he had to crawl almost two hundred meters along the predators' path - a tunnel of wild vegetation. The beast always made its lair in the shade of trees, it was covered with trampled grass, and adjacent to it was an area of about forty square meters, all knocked out and strewn with the bones of animals killed by the tiger. There was a sharp, foul smell all around. S. U. Stroganov concluded his observations with the following characteristic: “The Turanian tiger is brave, secretive and very sensitive. You can live for many years in places where tigers are found and never see them.” However, the secrecy of the Turanian tiger did not prevent people from becoming acquainted with it for a very long time. Europe and Russia recognized him much earlier than their Indian and other brothers.
The Turanian tiger was known to the ancient Romans. Animals captured in Persia and Armenia were brought to Rome, where the nobility amused themselves by watching bloody fights between wild animals and gladiator slaves. But the first tiger that came to Rome caused such fear that no one dared to fight it openly - the beast was killed in a cage.
IN Ancient Rus' They only heard about tigers, that they live in the south" fierce beast"Gradually, Russia's contacts with its neighbors expanded, and tigers from Persia (present-day Iran) and Central Asia began to end up in royal and princely menageries. The merchant Fyodor Kotov, having seen a Turanian tiger during his travels in the Shah's menagerie in the city of Qazvin, collected a Turanian tiger in the twenties century, its description. At that time in Russian books this beast was called “babr” - a word borrowed from the southern neighbors - the Turks; the Latin “tigris” appeared later.
The voice of a tiger, heard close, causes numbness and fear. Zoologist K. A. Satunin, a specialist in the fauna of the Caucasus, spells it out in writing as a “low, guttural “a-o-ung.” It is not for nothing that in the East the tiger has always been treated as a super being. Its ability to camouflage itself, suddenly disappear and appear created his fame as a werewolf. The tiger is a hero of myths, legends, and fairy tales. Hunting for tigers themselves and for their prey - wild boars and other ungulates, deforestation of tugai and foothill forests, plowing of lands for cotton, fires in the reeds - all this led to catastrophic decline in their numbers.
The Turanian tiger had one tiny ally among the animals in its struggle for survival. This is a malaria mosquito. Malaria has long been the scourge of those places in the Transcaucasus, Central Asia and Iran where the last tigers lived. When its outbreaks in the animal’s range zone were eliminated in our country and abroad, people began to explore tiger support without fear. Now people have finally realized that a few animals cannot threaten humans and livestock. Formally, the Turanian tiger is protected everywhere.
In the republics Soviet Union shooting it was strictly prohibited, and large monetary fines were imposed for those who violated it. In Iran, a reserve with an area of one hundred thousand hectares has even been created to protect it, but most likely people are already late with these measures. But even if it were possible to find the last Turanian tigers, it would be difficult to preserve them in the wild. The individual area, a kind of natural enclosure of this predator is not small, no less than forty square kilometers, and for a free life it needs a thousand square kilometers of riverine thickets rich in wild ungulates. Complicating matters is the Jolbars' penchant for wandering.
It could be preserved by transferring the last individuals to the zoo, where they would give birth... But, alas, now there are no Turanian tigers left, it seems, even in captivity. The tame tigress Teresa lived in the Moscow Zoo, given to the Soviet ambassador to Iran in 1926; she fell at the age of eighteen. In general, tigers can live up to fifty.
