Tigers have unique personalities, just like humans, reveals a study

Why should only humans have all the fun? Tigers need their time to be individualistic as well. Theyare not just meat-chomping, mean, killing machines as we think. You wouldn't exactly see a tiger writing poetry, but it's now reasonably clear that tigers may have a little variance in their personalities.

A study has now put its seal of approval on this idea. Published on Wednesday (April 5) in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the study observed behaviour of 248 Siberian tigers through a personality test. Again, the mental image of tigers sitting dilligently to mark answers on paper is probably far from what actually happened.

"We found that tigers are very individual and that people who've worked with them and know them well see their individual personalities," co-author Rosalind Arden of the London School of Economics told AFP news agency.

A commonly used human personality test was adapted for this study. Using the test, tiger traits were explored. The traits were confidence, sincerity, bullying and savagery.

Questionnaires with a list of 70 personality indicators were filled out by veterinarians and feeders who work with the tigers on a daily basis.

The combined results revealed that the tigers displayed characteristics that fell into two overarching personality categories: Majesty and steadiness.

Tigers scoring higher for "majesty" were healthier, preyed more on live animals, and ate and mated more.

They were also "regarded by their human raters as having higher group status among tigers," the study said.

But being collaborative and gentler had its evolutionary benefits too: "steady" tigers were shown to be gentler, more sincere and more loving.

Such traits may play a role in the unusual length of time -- two to three years -- that tiger cubs remain with their mothers.

The study found very few sex-related differences in tigers' personalities, and father tigers have also been observed taking part in raising their young.

"It's pleasant to see that you don't have to be dominant, fierce, competitive and aggressive in order to succeed as a tiger," said Arden.

The study may be an amusing one to a common reader. But it's probably a bad idea to try to deduce whether the tiger that suddenly appeared before you in the wild is gentle or not. Just scoot.

(With inputs from agencies)

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