One of the largest of the 'big cats', the tiger (Panthera tigris) is an instantly recognisable animal and an iconic symbol of conservation. Nine different subspecies of this charismatic carnivore are recognised, three of which became extinct in the latter part of the 20th century: the Bali (P. t. balica), Javan (P. t. sondaica) and Caspian tigers (P. t. virgata). The remaining subspecies are the Siberian (P. t. altaica), South China (P. t. amoyensis), Sumatran (P. t. sumatrae), Indochinese (P. t. corbetti), Malayan (P. t. jacksoni) and Bengal tigers (P. t. tigris).