© Vijaya Kumar K/ WWF-India

About Bengal Tiger

Key Facts

  • Common Name

    Bengal Tiger

  • Scientific Name

    Panthera tigris

  • Geographic habitat

    Widely distributed across India.

  • Length

    275-290cm (male), 260cm (female)

  • Weight

    135-230 kg

  • Population

    Mean 2967

  • Did you know?

    Tiger stripes are individually as unique as human fingerprints.

  • Status

    Endangered

HABITAT & DISTRIBUTION

Tigers are widely distributed from the Himalayas to the rainforests of southern Western Ghats and from the dry forests of Rajasthan to the moist forests of north-east India.
 
© Chiranjib Chakraborty/WWF-India
© Chiranjib Chakraborty/WWF-India
The tiger is a powerful icon of India’s cultural and natural heritage, and its survival has been a top priority for WWF-India since it was founded.
In the early 1970s, WWF India began its efforts to save the tiger with the vital support it provided towards Project Tiger – the first-ever Tiger Conservation Programme launched by the Government of India in 1973. In the early 1990s, WWF India initiated a focused Tiger Conservation Programme. Since then, we have been working with the Project Tiger, National Tiger Conservation Authority, state forest departments, local communities and other stakeholders to address critical conservation issues in different tiger landscapes.

Unique Characteristics

The tiger is one of the largest and most awesome predators in the world. This species undoubtedly fascinates every eye it meets. The body length of the majestic male ranges from 275-290 cm and of the female around 260 cm. The size and colour vary according to the geographic location and climate. Tiger is solitary and territorial and the territory of an adult male may encompass territories of two to seven females. It is carnivorous and hunts for prey primarily by sight and sound. It feeds on deer, wild pig, bovid and sometimes even other predators like leopards and bears.
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