If you spot the second tiger in this optical illusion you’re in the top 1%

If you can spot the hidden message in this image then you’re smarter than most.

The visual puzzle challenges you to find the “hidden tiger” in the jungle scene – and it’s harder than you think.

That’s because the artwork contains not one but two big cats, with one much easier to identify than the other.

Alongside the fairly obvious striped predator in the middle, rather than a second tiger, the image contains the text “the hidden tiger”.

It’s this text that you’re tasked with finding in order to solve the fiendishly difficult puzzle.

The optical illusion has been around for years and regularly resurfaces on websites such as Reddit.

It’s also a popular test to send to friends on chat apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Many people assume that the message is obscured by the image’s busy scenery.

However, those looking for a clue should pay closer attention to the tiger itself.

The text is actually hidden in the tiger’s fur disguised as the creature’s iconic black stripes.

Take a closer look at its torso and hind leg and you’ll see the text snaking across the tiger’s body.

Optical illusions are often just a bit of fun, but they also hold real value for scientists.

The brain puzzles help researchers shed light on the inner workings of the mind and how it reacts to its surroundings.

Back in 2017, scientists Kim Ransley and Alex O. Holcombe, of the University of Sydney, highlighted the importance of illusions to our understanding of the brain.

“Visual illusions show us that we do not have direct access to reality,” the pair wrote in The Conversation.

“They can also provide an inkling of the mental processing that delivers our experience of the viewable world.

“Indeed, it is the processing happening inside our brains that is the basis for many illusions.

“Rather than delivering information from our eyes in nearly raw form as a camera would, the brain tries to determine what is actually out there.

“When the information entering the eye is ambiguous, the brain must make educated guesses.”

It follows the release of a spooky illusion last week that makes the viewer feel as though they are tumbling into a black hole.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced here with permission.