Bengal Tiger

The Bengal Tiger with the scientific name, Panthera tigris is the national animal of both India and Bangladesh. It is named as Royal Bengal Tiger as their natural habitat lies in the Bengal region. It is categorised as Endangered under the IUCN ( International Union for Conservation of Nature) and the main reasons for that are habitat degradation, poaching and human-animal conflict. There are many conservation efforts in action to protect the species like Project Tiger of 1973. Under the Project, Tiger Reserves have been established to provide a conserved environment to protect the tiger species. Due to these efforts, the population of tiger is increasing continuously. However, continued efforts will be required to conserve this historically and culturally significant species for the future.

There were 8 tiger subspecies - Royal Bengal, Indo-Chinese, Sumatran, Amur or Siberian, South China, Caspian, Java, and Bali. The 3 subspecies - Caspian tiger , the Bali tiger and the Javan tiger became extinct during the 20th century and all the remaining subspecies are at risk.Tiger symbolizes power, strength and royalty and is often depicted in Indian ancient art, mythology and literature. Once the tigers were abundant in India but due to continuous hunting and habitat degradation their numbers declined sharply over decades which is why Project Tiger was launched in 1973.

Bengal Tiger is found in India, Bangladesh, China, Mayanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. They are one of the biggest cat species in the world, second only to Siberian tiger. It is the only tiger species which lives in the mangrove ecosystem. The Sundarbans mangrove forest, shared between India and Bangladesh is one of the most famous habitats of the Bengal tigers. As per latest Tiger census of 2023, there are 3682 tigers in India.

• Flagship Species: Tigers' iconic status capture people's hearts, raising awareness and generating funding for conservation projects. They act as ambassadors for their habitats and the diverse species they share.
• Umbrella Species:
  • Large range and habitat needs: Tigers require extensive territories with healthy prey populations. Protecting these areas automatically protects countless other species that share the same habitat.
  • Indicator of ecosystem health: As apex predators, tiger populations thrive in healthy ecosystems. Their decline indicates broader environmental issues, urging conservation action.

• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

• Physical appearance :-
  • The color of tiger varies from yellow to light orange with stripes from dark brown to black.
  • Some of the Bengal tigers are also white in color. One such tiger can be found in Bandhavagarh National park.
  • Tiger stripes are unique and no two tigers have same pattern of stripes. This unique characteristic of tigers is used in the counting of tigers during census through MSTrIPES technique.
  • Weight : Male tiger - 200-300Kg, Female tiger - 100-181 Kg
• Behavioural features
  • Bengal tigers live in solitude.
  • They scent mark large territories to keep their rivals away.
  • They are very protective and caring towards their family.
  • They are fast runners and good swimmers.
  • They hunt mainly in nights and hence called as nocturnal hunters
  • Gestation period : 3 months
  • Litter size : 3-4
  • Life span : 10-15 years.

It is estimated that India had about 40,000 tigers in 1900 and the number declined to a mere about 1800 in 1972.
The reasons behind the decline in tiger population were :-

1. Habitat degradation: Rapid urbanisation, deforestation, infrastructure development have resulted into loss of natural habitat for tigers.
2. Hunting and illegal wildlife trade: Tiger hunting was historically popular in India. They are hunted for their skin, bones and other body parts which are highly valued as luxury items and in traditional medicine market. Despite trade bans, illegal poaching continues due to black market of tiger products.
3. Decrease in population of prey species: Overhunting of prey species like deers, antelope etc eventually affected the population of tigers.
4. Human-wildlife conflict: As human population increased exponentially, they expand into tiger habitats which resulted in an increase in the frequency of human-tiger conflicts. It led to retaliatory killings of tigers which became one of the main reasons behind their declining numbers.
5. Climate change: Changing climate like increasing temperature impacts the habitat of tigers and also prey population. This makes it harder for tiger to find food and survive.

• It was a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 1973.
• Aim: To ensure maintenance of available population of tigers in India for scientific, economic and cultural value and to preserve the areas of biological importance.
• Under Project Tiger, Tiger reserves are notified to provide protected area for the conservation of tiger and its prey.
• Tiger Reserves are notified by State government on the recommendation of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• The core area/ critical tiger habitat is a legally protected central zone where human settlement is prohibited.
• The buffer area is present around the core area allows limited human activities.
• Largest Tiger Reserve : Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Andhra Pradesh

• Increase in tiger population: Population of tiger has increased from 1411 in 2006 to 2967 in 2018 tiger census and now it is 3682 in 2023.
• India achieved its commitment to the St. Petersburg declaration of doubling tiger population.
• Establishment of Tiger reserves: Protected areas for tigers have been increasing and now there are 54 tiger reserves.
• As per 5th Tiger census, India hosts more than 75% of the tiger population.

1. Wildlife Protection Act, 1972:
   • Under its Shedule 1, the wildlife trade is banned
   • National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA): A statutory body setup under it in 2005 to oversee tiger conservation efforts across the country.
2. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006: The law was established to provide rights to the forest dwellers and tribals to use the forest products and help them in dealing with wild fauna.
3. Tiger Protection Force: It was started in 2008 to protect the tigers against illegal poaching.
4. International Agreements:
   • Bilateral: India has agreements with Nepal, China, Bangladesh, and Russia to prevent illegal trade of wild animals and conserve the natural habitats for them.
   • International Big Cat Alliance: It was launched in 2023 by India to conserve 7 big cats of the Earth which are : Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma. 97 big countries are part of it.
5. Tiger Census, 2022 (5th Tiger Census):
   • It was conducted by NTCA & WII every 4 years.
   • In 2022, India’s tiger population increased to 3167.
   • However, the rate of population growth has slowed down since 2018.
   • Areas which witnessed rapid increase were Shivalik Hills, Nilgiri Hills & Gangetic Plains.
   • Some areas like Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana & Western Ghats witnessed a decline.

1. Global Tiger Day: It is also known as International Tiger Day observed every year on July 29. It was announced in 2010 St. Petersburg Summit.
2. Global Tiger Forum: It was started in 1994 in New Delhi to bring together worldwide efforts for tiger conservation.
3. The St. Petersburg Tiger Summit 2010: At this meeting, leaders from 13 countries where tigers live, including India, pledged to double wild tiger numbers by 2022 (called the the TX2 Goal)
4. Global Tiger Initiative (GTI): It was tarted in 2008 by the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to bring the collaboration between governments, international agencies, and conservation groups to prevent the extinction of wild tigers. In 2013, it expanded to include protecting Snow Leopards. It also constituted a Global Tiger Recovery Program to increase wild tiger populations.
5. Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS Rules): The rules were established in 2013 as an accreditation tool created by tiger area countries to certify good practices in conservation areas. 14 tiger reserves in India got CA|TS approval which shows they have meet the criteria of high standards to conserve the tiger population.

• Physical appearance: Bengal tigers are large with generally a distinctive orange coat with black stripes. Siberian tigers are larger than Bengal tigers, with a paler orange coat and fewer stripes. Indo-Chinese, Sumatran and Malayan tigers are smaller than Bengal tigers. Sumatran tiger is the smallest tiger sub-species.
• Conservation status:
  • Bengal tiger, Siberian tiger : Endangered
  • Sumatran tiger, Indo-chinese tiger, South China tiger, Malayan tiger : Critically endangered
  • Caspian tiger, Java tiger, Bali tiger : Extinct

Bengal tiger stands as a symbol of India’s rich cultural and natural heritage. Yet, its future hangs in the balance due to various threats, including habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict. However, conservation efforts like Project Tiger have shown significant results in the recovery of tiger population. This does not mean that we get complacent. Continued habitat protection, strengthened law enforcement, sustainable livelihood development, and international collaboration are essential to ensure the long-term survival of this endangered species.