Tora Choyaku Kyokoku

The Tora Choyaku Kyokoku {tiger leaping canyons} on the Tora Hanto {tiger peninsula} in the Eastern Desert province has formed over eons with the changing course of the Chikugo-gawa {builder river}, the Laohu-he {tiger river} and the movement of glaciers. The Chikugo-gawa originates in Morning Glory Lake in the Sharqiun Kiso Yama {eastern foundation backbone mountains} then travels north into the Tora Hanto and its varying course majorly shaped the canyons and other geographical features of the area, the river currently ends near Tora Point and outlets into the Sulu Sea {dynamic flowing water}. The Laohu-he source is the Genso Mizumi {illusion lake} {formed from runoff from the Alpenwylde glaciers} between the Kiso Mountains {foundation backbone} and the Sharqiun Kiso Yama from which it travels east then north into the Tora Hanto to help form the topography of the Tora Choyaku Kyokoku. The Tora Choyaku Kyokoku on Tora Hanto has outstanding views and prominent geological and paleoentological features. There are exciting multicolored rock formations and a diverse landscape of hills, canyons, and washes. Many plants not only survive but thrive and the plant genera includes species from the agave family, palm family, cactus family, legume family and numerous others. Creosote bush and bur sage dominate valley floors along with indigo bush and mormon tea. Wildflowers include desert sand verbena, desert sunflower, and evening primroses. Ascending the valleys you may find trees and shrubs such as velvet mesquite, palo verde, desert ironwood, desert willow, fairy duster, ocotillo, whitehorn acacia, jojoba, and boojum tree. Multicolored rock walls and mesas are prevalent with over two dozen canyons and caverns. Weather extremes and poisonous snakes are common hazards to this area as well as flash floods and a diverse variety of desert adapted wildlife - for example horned viper, gila monster, scorpions, golden wolf, jackal, sabaku puma {desert}, fire ants, dacho {ostrich}, dingo, akakangaru {red kangaroo}, xolotl. And it is here among the canyons that the most noted species of the Eastern Desert province resides, the amoy tiger. These obligate carnivores, easily recognizable from their distinctive striped coats, measure up to two meters in length and weigh as much as two hundred kilograms. It prefers hunting large ungulates (ibex, idaina kemono, criollo, javelina, pronghorn) but frequently kills wild boar, deer, macaques, porcupine, hare, serow, and peafowl. Man eating tiger attacks have increased with human encroachment into their territory.