Most big cats cannot chase prey very far. So they stalk until they are as close as possible, usually within ten to twenty yards. A leopard, for example, will often not attack until it is just five yards from its target. It cleverly uses every bump and hollow, every bush and blade of grass, to conceal its approach. As the big cat creeps close it concentrates on every movement of its prey, calculating just when to advance or freeze. Then it explodes in a fearsome rushing charge. A lion or tiger can sprint at about thirty-five miles per hour and leap more than twenty feet onto its victim, slapping it to the ground with powerful forelegs.
The Amur, or Siberian, tiger, has thicker fur than other tigers to help it survive the freezing cold winters in eastern Russia and China. It hunts moose, musk deer, wild boar, and even bears.
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