In Photos: Big Cats
The big cats are some of the biggest land predators on the planet. They're agile, speedy and born to kill.

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Siberian Tiger
The Siberian (Amur) tiger is the largest tiger and the largest of all the cats.
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Bengal Tiger
Sleeping during the heat of the day is a familiar site with most cats.
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Tigers and Water
Tigers, unlike lions, like to be in and around water, often jumping in for a swim in order to keep cool.
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Lion Pride
Lions are the sociable members of the cat family and are more than willing to hang around in sometimes huge prides.
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Female Lion
Social groups aren't always a good thing for the individuals. Female lions tend to do most of the hard work. Leaner and swifter than the larger more lumbering males, female lions are excellent hunters.
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Male Lion
Male lions are renowned for their impressive manes, a sign of sexual fitness among their counterparts.
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Cheetah Running
Everyone knows that cheetahs are the fastest land animal! They can reach astonishing speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.
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Jaguar
Jaguar spots, much like the leopard's, help to camouflage them by breaking up their outline and mimicking dappled sunlight.
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Leopard in a Tree
Leopards spend most of their time hanging around in trees. They are excellent climbers and are able to drag carcasses equal to their own weight up into the treetops for future consumption.
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Added Height
Cheetah's will use termite mounds and other objects in order to gain a height advantage to see over long grass.
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Camera Trap
Cats are hard to photograph, with camera traps being one of the best methods of catching these elusive creatures in the wild.
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Puma Chasing a Snowshoe Hare
Pumas (also known as a cougar) are found throughout the Americas. Further north, pumas will race through deep snow to catch snowshoe hares.