Bengal tiger
- Snippet from Wikipedia: Bengal tiger
The Bengal tiger is a population of the Panthera tigris tigris subspecies and the nominate tiger subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna.
The tiger is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late Pleistocene, for about 12,000 to 16,500 years. Today, it is threatened by poaching, loss and fragmentation of habitat, and was estimated at comprising fewer than 2,500 wild individuals by 2011. None of the Tiger Conservation Landscapes within its range is considered large enough to support an effective population of more than 250 adult individuals.
The Bengal tiger's historical range covered the Indus River valley until the early 19th century, almost all of India, Pakistan, southern Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and southwestern China. Today, it inhabits India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and southwestern China. India's tiger population was estimated at 2,603–3,346 individuals by 2018. Around 300–500 individuals are estimated in Bangladesh by 2015, 355 in Nepal by 2022, and 90 individuals in Bhutan by 2015.
B“engal tiger and her cubs. The Bengal is a subsepecies of tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) found in Southern Asia. It has been hunted practically to extinction and now lives mostly in natural preserves and national parks, where it is strictly protected. It’s estimated that there are fewer than 3,500 Bengal tigers left in the wild.”
“The Bengal tiger is reddish orange with narrow black, gray, or brown stripes, generally in a vertical direction. Males can grow to nine feet long and weigh as much as 500 pounds; they are the largest existing members of the cat family. Preferred habitats include dense thickets, long grass, or tamarisk shrubs along river banks. Maximum longevity can be 26 years but is usually only about 15 years in the wild.”
“Tigers most commonly conceive after the monsoon rains; the majority of cubs are born between February and May after a gestation of three and a half months. Females bear one litter every two to three years. Cubs weigh under three pounds at birth and are striped. Litters usually consist of one to four cubs, but it’s unusual for more than two or three to survive. Cubs are weaned at four to six months but depend on their mother for food and protection for another two years. Female tigers are mature at three to four years, males at four to five years.”
“Bengals are an endangered species threatened by poaching, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation.”