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There are plenty of activity options opened for you within the Indian
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Home >> Wild
Animals in India >> Royal Bengal Tiger
Royal Bengal Tiger
The Royal Bengal tiger, the national animal of India is an incredible sight.
With its orange hide marked with dark stripes, its white underbelly, long
tail, huge paws and fearsome teeth, the Royal Bengal Tiger of India is justifiably
called the "King of the Jungle." It is the largest of the Big
Cats. There are several subspecies of Tiger of which the Siberian Tiger
is the largest.
Zoological name
Panthera tigris tigris
Range
The Royal Bengal Tiger is found in the wild across India in protected forests,
and in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Estimated population
It is estimated that there are around 3,250 - 4,700 Royal Bengal Tigers
in the wild with over 330 in captivity, including zoos and animal parks.
Physical characteristics
Royal Bengal Tigers can have an incredible size ranging in length from under
6 feet to over 9 feet, while the length of its tail can be over 3 feet.
Adult male tigers are larger than female tigers. The color of the Royal
Bengal Tigers pelt can range from orange to tan with white beneath. The
pattern of stripes on a tiger's skin is unique to each tiger. The patterns
are used to identify and enumerate tigers based on tiger sightings in wildlife
national parks in India. Tigers can shed their short thick fur in summer
and it grows in thickness in winter. The Siberian tiger, the largest of
the tigers, lives in a snow covered landscape, protected by its thick fur.
Tigers have large, padded paws, with retractable claws. The paw print or
pugmark of each tiger is also unique and is therefore used for identification
and tracking by wildlife officials. Tigers have a large head, big ears and
thick whiskers. The strong jaw of the tiger is used to bite the throat or
neck of the tiger's prey. Tigers have incredible vision, their sight is
enhanced by a reflecting layer behind the retina called the tapetum, whereby
light is reflected back onto the retina, enabling tigers to see six times
better than humans.
White tigers
All white tigers in captivity in the world today are the descendants of
one white tiger, Mohan caught by the Maharaja of Rewa in 1951. A White Tiger
is the same as a Royal Bengal Tiger except for a genetic mutation that causes
the change in the color of their fur and eyes. White tigers have blue eyes
and brownish stripes.
Habitat
Tigers prefer thick grass, dense jungle and undergrowth in which they can
hide and wait for their prey. The stripes on the hide of the tiger act as
an incredible camouflage and help the tiger conceal itself in tall grass
and vegetation. In the dry jungles of wildlife parks in Ranthambore and
Sariska in Rajasthan India, tigers are often seen in the ruins of monuments
and temples in the park. Tigers unlike other cats, like water and in the
hot summer are often seen sitting or lying in pools of water to stay cool
and are good swimmers.
Diet
Royal Bengal Tigers are carnivores and hunt for prey. Their prey includes
deer, wild buffalo, elephants, wild pigs and cattle in areas of human encroachment.
Aged, sick or injured tigers that are unable to hunt swift-footed prey have
been known to turn man-eater.
Behavior
Royal Bengal Tigers are usually solitary. Tiger couples have sometimes been
seen, however a family group commonly consists of a mother and her cubs
that live with her for around 2 years. Male tigers are known to fight over
territory. A male tigers territory usually overlaps the territory of more
than one tigress. Tigers mark their territory by urinating and spraying
scent from a specialized gland. A tigress retires to a den to bear her litter,
which usually consists of 2-4 cubs. In the wild, tigers live from 8- 15
years. In zoos, tigers have been recorded as living up to 26 years.
Status
Royal Bengal Tiger is an endangered species. Their numbers were recorded
as below 2000 in the 1970's, after which Project Tiger was initiated in
India in 1973 in wildlife national parks and sanctuaries of India. There
has been a steady increase in the population of tigers in India where they
are protected in 27 tiger reserves, wildlife national parks and wildlife
sanctuaries. The threat of poaching due to the demand for tiger bones and
body parts in traditional Chinese medicine remains a pressing issue. The
loss of habitat as well as human population pressure on wildlife reserves
in India is another concern.
Project Tiger Wildlife Sanctuaries
Tourists can see the incredible Royal Bengal Tiger in the following Wildlife
National Parks on India wildlife tours:
Bandipur-Nagarhole (Karnataka), Corbett (Uttaranchal), Kanha (Madhya Pradesh),
Manas (Assam), Melghat(Maharashtra), Palamau (Jharkhand), Ranthambhore (Rajasthan),
Similipal (Orissa), Sunderbans (West Bengal), Periyar (Kerala), Sariska
(Rajasthan), Buxa (West Bengal),Indravati (Chattisgarh), Nagarjunsagar (Andhra
Pradesh), Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh), Dudhwa-Katerniaghat (Uttar Pradesh),
Kalakad-Mundanthurai (Tamil Nadu), Valmiki (Bihar), Pench (Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra),
Tadoba-Andhari (Maharashtra), Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh), Dampha (Mizoram),
Bhadra (Karnataka), Pakhui-Nameri (Arunachal Pradesh-Assam), Bori, Satpura,
Pachmari (Madhya Pradesh).
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