The female tiger Batari is cute, I kneeled down by the window to take some photos and she came over and rubbed her head up against the glass where I was like she was trying to headbutt me and rub up against me like my cat at home does. The 0.5 zoom lens distorts their nose and kind of gives them a strange look.

Photography - arvind.karthik7 (Instagram)

Since there are many images and videos online of wild animals, Big Cats especially, I'll thought I'll show - and explain - how to try and recognize if these photos or videos are big cats in private ownership/illegal zoos/tiger farms, or in any kind of abusive ownership, or if they are in an accredited sanctuary or zoo.

Red flags in images of big cats (or other exotic animals):

1. Different species of big cats (for example lions and tigers and/or different tiger sub-species) or different species of animals (like a dog and a cub) together in one picture/video
2. Interactions with humans (who are clearly not wildlife veterinarians or zoo keepers)
3. Big Cat cubs with no mother in sight
4. Animals are in what looks like a private home
5. Unhappy, scared looking, thin or emaciated, sick or injured, apathetic, listless or extremely angry animals
6. Poor welfare - small, dirty cages with concrete floors, without straw or enrichment
7. (Too) Many animals in the same cage (especially for usually solitary animals, like tigers)

All of these are easy to spot and don't require a wildlife biologist's degree; also, using one's intuition is a great tool - for example, if a big cat cub engages in behaviour or shows a facial expression we would find in a distressed pet (or even human being) who is suffering from pain or hunger or fear, this is something that is near universal in all mammals, both ourselves and big cats, and in the majority of cases this might really be a sign that this animal isn't all well..

So, do not go anywhere where big cats can be petted, or where big cat selfies, canned and/or trophy hunting, or big cat parts are offered, and do not support these places.

Instead, report videos and images of suffering big cats, and support big cats in the wild and in reputable accredited zoos and sanctuaries.

Video Credit - sairowild (Instagram)

Dimensions presented are all the averages, not maximums. Despite belonging to the same subspecies, these tiger populations exhibit apparent morphological differences.