Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) lives in tropical forest, mangrove, grassland across Indian subcontinent. Its conservation status is Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Bengal Tiger
- Since the early 20th century, tiger populations have lost at least 93% of their historic range, and today the tiger's range is severely fragmented. As of 2022, it inhabits less than 7% of its historical distribution, leaving isolated pockets across Asia. This collapse means tigers now survive in tiny, disconnected habitats.
- Parasite surveys in the Sundarbans mangrove forest found the highest infection rate in Bengal tigers, 85.3% of sampled individuals were infected with parasites. Researchers also measured that households sit on average 450.7 m (1,479 ft) from the forest edge, with a median distance of just 100 m, meaning people and livestock live right alongside tiger habitat. Heavy parasite loads can sap a tiger's strength, push it toward easier prey like cattle, and spark human-tiger conflict.
- Tigers roam huge territories that shift with sex and prey abundance. Two females in the Sundarbans had home ranges of 10.6 and 14.1 km², while in Russia's Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve 14 females occupied 248-520 km² and five males roamed 847-1,923 km². The species can also disperse up to 650 km (400 mi) to find new populations.
- Legal deterrence for tiger poaching remains weak. Of the 259 seizure cases examined across seven Southeast Asian nations, only 110 (42%) led to jail time or fines, and 35 (14%) resulted in suspended sentences. In Indonesia, the average conviction brought 21 months behind bars and a $3,867 fine. Such low punishment rates allow traffickers to operate with minimal risk, undermining conservation efforts and keeping the illegal market alive.
- South Asia still holds roughly 4,367 Bengal tigers: 3,682 in India, 429 in Nepal, 131 in Bhutan and 125 in Bangladesh. The IUCN lists the Bengal tiger as an endangered species, although it is classified as critically endangered in Bangladesh.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeIndian subcontinent
HabitatTropical forest, mangrove, grassland
DietDeer and wild boar
About the Bengal Tiger
In the dappled shadows of the Asian forest, the Bengal tiger moves with a silence that belies its majesty, its burnished coat blending seamlessly with the rust-hued trees as it pads effortlessly across the forest floor. With each deliberate step, the tiger asserts its dominion over this fragile ecosystem, its piercing gaze illuminating the darkest recesses of the undergrowth as it stalks its prey with a calculated patience. As the last remnants of a once-thriving population, these endangered creatures embody a fleeting glimpse of a bygone era, their very existence a poignant reminder of the beauty and wonder that hangs precariously in the balance.
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Bengal Tiger photographed on Feravox
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