Playful tigers or fierce rivals? Understanding tigers 'slap' behavior

At the Meihua Mountains Nature Reserve in Longyan, southeast China's Fujian Province, it's not uncommon to see tigers "slapping" each other with their paws. While it might look like a fight, experts say this behavior is actually a form of social interaction. According to Jiang Guangshun, deputy director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration's Feline Research Center, tigers are solitary and fiercely territorial in the wild due to competition for resources.

However, with early training and familiar groupings – such as family members – they can live together peacefully in captivity. The playful slaps seen between these tigers rarely indicate serious aggression. If it were, they would use their teeth, not their paws.

As of 2024, there were 247 South China tigers in China, with the Meihua Mountains Nature Reserve remaining a key site for conservation and breeding programs.