There are few predators in the world as well equipped for the hunt as members of the cat family. With stealthy bodies, keen senses, and a powerful array of weapons at their disposal, it is no wonder they have spread across the globe, and are often the top predators of their regions. The largest of all is the tiger (Panthera tigris), which has territories across Asia and parts of Europe like Siberia. Sadly, these magnificent animals are in decline, as they compete for space with humans and suffer in illegal fur trading. Here, I shall be looking at the efforts to immortalise the tiger in plastic by Safari Ltd.
This model is a much older example; the year stamped on its underbelly stating it is from 1996, and thus it is not as good quality as a modern Safari figure. The figure is 6.0″ long and 2.6″ tall. Some of the paint is a little too red and the face comes off a little cartoonish. It is not terrible, and does feature excellent texturing and decent paint otherwise, it just does distract a bit. The paws are nicely done, but again, far from as detailed as more modern figures.
There are two main subspecies of tiger, Panthera tigris tigris which encompasses most of the tigers, and P. tigris sondaica which includes the Sumatran, Javan, and Balinese tigers. As this is simply labelled “Tiger”, it’s hard to say which subspecies or regional variant, but I feel this is likely one of the tigris varieties. As a representation, it is pretty on-point, showing features, like large paws and a muscular body, that you would expect from a tiger. The pose is nice, as if pacing about its territory, or snarling a challenge to a competitor. Nicely done.
As this is a much older figure, I cannot say this is a must to try to hunt down, as much more accurate and detailed figures have been released over the 24 year period since this was made. Those who find it has a charm to it, or are nostalgic for these early figures, it can be worth hunting eBay for. It certainly brought back some fond memories for me.
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Thank you for reviewing this figure! It is important to go back and review the older figures when newer nicer ones are available. It helps us remember how much better things have gotten for us as collectors.