Since the early 20th century, tiger populations have lost at least 93% of their historic range and have been extirpated from Western and Central Asia, the islands of Java and Bali, and in large areas of Southeast and South Asia and China. The tiger was first scientifically described in 1758 and once ranged widely from the Eastern Anatolia Region in the west to the Amur River basin in the east, and in the south from the foothills of the Himalayas to Bali in the Sunda Islands. Tiger cubs stay with their mother for about two years, then become independent and leave their mother's home range to establish their own. It is territorial and generally a solitary but social predator, requiring large contiguous areas of habitat, which support its requirements for prey and rearing of its offspring. It is an apex predator, primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and wild boar. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. The tiger ( Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera. Tiger's historical range in about 1850 (pale yellow), excluding that of the Caspian tiger, and in 2006 (in green).
