Leeds Tiger
The Leeds Tiger, 2021 | |
| Species | Bengal tiger |
|---|---|
| Sex | Probably male |
| Died | 1860 Deyrah Dhoon valley, near Dehradun, India |
| Cause of death | Shot by Charles Reid |
| Resting place | Mounted and displayed at Leeds City Museum, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England |
| Known for | Past mythical dangerous reputation; Present visitor attraction |
| Owner | Leeds City Council |
| Leeds City Museum | |
The Leeds Tiger is a taxidermy-mounted 19th-century Bengal tiger, displayed at Leeds City Museum in West Yorkshire, England. It has been a local visitor attraction for over 150 years.
The tiger was shot and killed by Charles Reid in the Dehrah Dhoon valley near Dehradun, India, in 1860. It was displayed as a tiger skin at the 1862 International Exhibition, and sold to William Gott, who had it mounted by Edwin Henry Ward, and presented it in 1863 to the museum of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England.
The Leeds Tiger's novelty and size drew public attention, as did the myths of a "dangerous reputation" which accumulated over the years. In 1979, Leeds City Museum curator Adrian Norris said, "The tiger has always been very popular with the public, and school parties in general".