Writing Activities: Year 2

Tiger

Tigers are the largest species of cat, and are apex predators. This means that they eat other animals, but there are no animals that eat tigers. When a tiger gives birth, there are usually two to four cubs. They are born with their eyes closed. They open their eyes after one or two weeks but cannot see properly until they are a few weeks old. Cubs live with their mothers and usually stay in their dens for the first 6 weeks. Tiger mothers protect their cubs and feed them; cubs cannot hunt by themselves until they are at least a year old. Tiger cubs live with their mother until the age of about 2 years.

In this clip we see a litter of four adventurous tiger cubs exploring near their den.

Literacy idea

Write a short information text about the lives of newborn tiger cubs. You can use these sentence starters, completing the sentences using the information on this page and in the clip.

• Tigers are born with their eyes ________.
• Young tigers usually live with their _________.
• Tiger cubs cannot see properly for the first few _________ of their lives.
• Until they are six weeks old, tiger cubs usually stay _________.
• Tiger cubs live with their mother until they are about _________ years old.

Wider Curriculum idea

Tigers are famous for their striped black and orange fur. How many stripy things can you find in your home? How many are big? How many are small? How many are colourful and how many are just black and white? Is there anything with tiger-coloured stripes?