Let’s just watch an Amur tiger, a/k/a Siberian tiger, hang out in its enclosure in Russia in 2014.

It’s appropriate, what with The Year of the Tiger due to start soon.

It also is a reminder that our seeming side trips into the Precambrian’s life and geology here are meant to look at some of the main influences on the evolution of cats.

Yes, it took some 4 billion years to produce this magnificent animal, as well as its surroundings and the people who care for the existence of these apex predators enough to try to save them from extinction.

Here are a 2017 introductory post I did on tigers and the latest Red List report (PDF download) on Amur tigers.

Featured image:
scigelova/Shutterstock