Bengal Tiger

ORDER Carnivora > FAMILY Felidae > GENUS Panthera
> SPECIES Panthera tigris tigris

STATUS: Endangered
SOCIAL UNIT: Indivisual
LENGTH: 1.4-2.8 m (4.5-9.5 ft)
TAIL: 60 cm-1 m (2-3.5 ft)
SHOULDER HEIGHT: 90 cm-1 m (35-39 in)
WEIGHT: Up to 220 kg (480 lb)
SEXUAL MATURITY: Female 3-4 years; Male: 4-5 years
BREEDING SEASON: November to April
GESTATION PERIOD: 95-112 days
NUMBER OF YOUNG: 2-4
BREEDING INTERVAL: 2-2.5 years
DIET: Deer, buffalo, wild pigs, gaur and monkeys
LIFESPAN: Up to 26 years in the wild

Identification and Power

The white spots behind its ears help other tigers to identify it in the gloom of the jungle, while its heavily muscled shoulders and front limbs are designed for maximum power to pull down prey. Its massive jaw is armed with long canine teeth for stabbing and killing its prey. Their immense paws can knock down prey in one blow. Their Lethal claws can retract or pull back when walking so they don't become blunt. They have powerful hind legs which enable them to leap great distances.

Location of Bengal tigers in the wild


MOST BENGAL TIGERS live in India, but some also live in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and western Mynammar (Burma). The white tiger is a colour variant of the Bengal Tiger and is hardly ever found in the wild.

Myth or Fact

In the Sundarbans area of India some people believe that, as tigers attack from behind, you can prevent this by wearing a mask showing a face on the back of your head. The fearless Hindu deity Durga often rides on a tiger (right).

Paying Homage to the JUNGLE KING


POWERFUL AND STEALTHY, the tiger is the largest and heaviest of the cat family and much feared by other animals and humans alike. The Bengal tiger has the classic orange and black tiger's coat. It patrols its own territory and usually hunts alone, stalking its prey or killing it by ambush. Immensely strong, it can bring down animals much larger than itself. Once common throughout Asia, the Bengal tiger is now restricted to small areas of India and the surrounding countries.


Home Alone

Male tigers find females by their roars and scent marks. A pair of tigers may mate up to 100 times over two days. The female gives birth to her cubs in a den. She rears them on her own, suckling them untill they are six months old. The cubs venture outside and start eating meat at eight weeks old. As they grow, the female has to hunt more often, but never moves far from her cubs. The youngsters can hunt at about a year old, but stay with their mother untill the age of two.










Once the cubs are about two months old,

they are ready to brave the world outside their den.



Silent Killer

A tiger relies on stealth to catch its prey. It has excellent eyesight and hearing, which help it track animals in the dark. Tigers hunt large animals such as deer and wild pigs, which will provide food for a few days. They slink upon their prey unseen, only charging when they are within about 20 m (65 ft). Tigers kill their prey by biting the back of its neck or throat, then dragging it away into thick cover to feed. When they have eaten enough, they conceal the carcass with leaves so they can return to it later on. Male tigers can eat up to 40 kg (85 lb) of meat in one meal.

The tiger's stripes provide
brilliant camouflage against
dappled light and shade.



Water Lovers

Tigers love water and often bathe or cool of in rivers and pools during the heat of the day. They usually hunt at night and rest during the day. Most tigers live alone, although mother's with cubs or young siblings
sometimes hunt together. A male tiger roams a territory of up to 100 sq km (60 sq miles) in area, defining its boundries with scent markings, droppings and scratch marks on boulder or trees. These signals tell other tigers about its sex and size as well as its territory. Tigers also communicate by roaring and moaning. They defend their territory fiercely against rival males, but will tolerate some overlap with the smaller territory of females.Tigers will charge into lakes after prey.





A Shrinking Population

The number of Bengal tigers left in the wild has shrunk from 100,000 to 4,500 over the last century. The main threats are loss of habitat, poaching, loss of prey and the trade in tiger parts for Eastern medicines. Most Bengal tigers now live in protected areas of India. Anti-poaching task forces have been set up and there is also a trade ban on tiger products in many countries.

This drugged tiger is being fitted with a radio collar so researchers can keep track of it in the wild