If you’re looking for a fun-filled family day out and the opportunity to make memories with those you love best, don’t miss a theatre trip to The Tiger Who Came to Tea, now touring the UK. Based on the popular picture book by Judith Kerr, this production is tailored to little ones and is full of clumsy chaos and interactive moments. When it comes to ‘fun days near me,’ this is one of the best. 

If you’ve wondered about how baby tigers grow up to be such powerful and accomplished hunters, you’re in the right place. Let’s explore how cute cubs transition to fierce adults. 

Teeny Tiny Tigers 

When you think of a tiger, you probably picture a ferocious big cat with a muscular body, huge teeth and piercing eyes. While tiger cubs do turn into fierce hunters eventually, they have a lot of growing to do first. Tigers are born blind and only weigh about 1.4kg. That’s about the same as a standard bag of oranges or onions. They don’t open their eyes for six to twelve days and have to be kept safe in a secret den by their mother, as they’re vulnerable to predators including hyenas, crocodiles and snakes. Baby tigers only drink milk for the first six to eight weeks of their life and are weaned at about six months old.

Growing Cubs 

Tiger cubs stay with their mother until they’re around two and during that time they learn a lot. When they’re around five months old, they start to follow her on territorial walks, learning the art of hunting. However, they hide in a safe spot as they’re still far too little to hunt on their own. Mother tigers bring their babies small prey to feast on. Cubs also eat insects and vegetation. By the time they’re around six months old, male cubs weigh around 47kg (about the same as a German Shepherd dog), but still rely on their mother for food.

Young cubs are also very playful. They spend their days pouncing on and wrestling with siblings. As female tigers tend to have between two and four cubs at a time, there’s always another cub to play with. While the cubs might look like they’re just messing around, they’re actually learning vital survival and life skills such as stalking, swatting and climbing. This helps them to build muscle and get set for independence. 

Transition to Adulthood

Tigers aren’t cute and little for long. They grow fast and by sixteen months old have already established a hierarchy with their siblings. The most dominant cub will eat first and consume the most. It’s perhaps no surprise that the dominant cub is usually male. Male tigers tend to weigh at least 13kg more than females by this point. As tigers are solitary animals, they like to be alone and will break away from their mother around seventeen to twenty four months of age. 

Males travel further from their mother’s territory than females and will continue to develop a muscular frame. As the largest of all the Asian big cats, they can weigh anywhere from 100-300kg when fully grown. Males will continue to roam freely until they feel strong enough to establish a permanent territory of their own.

Tigers are interesting and beautiful creatures. If you love these majestic animals, don’t forget to research family days out near me and book a local showing of The Tiger Who Came to Tea. It’s a truly magical and fun production suitable for kids aged three and above.