The glorious walk of this feline animal is just enough to let us know why it is known as one of the majestic creatures of the world. Royal Bengal Tiger, the National animal of India puts the country on the map as the place ideal for tiger tours. Yes, this dangerous looking animal has some qualities that sets him apart from various other big cats of its family, which is why witnessing him in the tiger reserves in India is a must. Often portrayed as savage, tigers are in fact, caring and protective towards their family. There can hardly be a person who will not be impressed with this gorgeous big cat of India that has canines longer than lions and can gobble up 30 to 40 kilograms of meat in one go or the fact that they can imitate sounds of different animals to lure their preys or even for short distances, they run at a speed of 60 km/h. This is not all, there are several other interesting facts about this endangered species that you should know about.
FACTS
- Just like humans have a unique identity and can be differentiated, same is with tigers. The Royal Bengal tigers have unique combination and pattern of strips and no two tigers will appear to be same.
- The tigers are born killers. They know the exact point to attack on the body of any animal which will snap the life out of the body. The force with which they attack breaks the spine of any animal. Also when they have a hold on the neck of the animal it is absolute that the animal is dead then.
- The tigers will never roar while fighting instead they hiss and fluff. The roaring is usually when the tigers are calling out other tigers which are at a distance.
- These big cats carry similar habits of domestic cats. For instance for the first week of their life, the cubs are blind just like any other domestic kitten.
- Unlike lions, Royal Bengal Tigers are caring towards the females and children, therefore, when a killing happens, male tigers eat after the females and children have had their feast.
- These Royal bengal Tigers are found largely in India and in Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and China, they are found in smaller quantities.
- It is the only breed of tiger in this world which inhabits mangrove forests and is found in mangroves of Sundarbans.
- Night vision of these creatures is 6 times that of humans and hearing is 5 times more. Also their roar can be heard from 2 miles away.
- This magnificent creature is in danger because it is being poached for skin and bones. Skin is used for various purposes in various nations whereas its bones are used for medicinal purpose in asian countries. Various projects like Project Tiger, Save the Tiger campaign, etc have been launched for the conservation of tigers in India.
- Tigers don’t forget faces! Yes, Royal Bengal Tiger have a strong memory than most of the animals and humans.
- Royal Bengal Tiger’s saliva has antiseptic properties and hence when they get injured, they lick themselves which heals the wound. This also helps in stopping the bleeding.
- Majestic Royal Bengal Tiger hunts animals like deer, wild boar, badger, water buffalo, etc.
- Tigers are very powerful and this was proven when a tiger was seen dragging around a dead bison, which by the way weighs a ton. 13 people could not move this bison whereas a tiger was dragging it!
- Tiger’s binomial name is Panthera Tigris Tigris. Weight of tigers depending on gender is: Male- 200-300 Kg and Female- 100-181 Kg. the height of male tigers is 8-10 feet whereas females have a height of 8-9 feet.
- One of the interesting facts about Royal Bengal Tiger is that the early traces of the oldest fossil of a tiger have been found in Sri Lanka and not India or Bangladesh. It is estimated to be 16,500 years old and is assumed that tigers were present all over Sri Lanka.
- White Bengal tigers are a rarity. These tigers are white because of gene mutation and are not albino because they have black strips over them.
- This endangered species of India loves to live in a companionless environment. They are usually spotted in mangroves, swamps and grasslands. They are mostly found in groups of three or four and during the mating season.
- Despite their heavy body, Royal Bengal Tigers can climb trees for their prey even though they are not made for climbing.
- The National animal of India – the Royal Bengal Tiger are great swimmers and they have developed this skill because of their habitat. The mangroves have made them prone to swimming and they can hunt in the water too.
- The Royal Bengal tigress delivers a litter of 4-5 cubs and their gestation period is of 3 months.
- Tigers can live upto 25 years in captivity in comparison to wild.
