Bengal tiger

The Bengal tiger is commonly called Panthera tigris tigris. The exact arrangement of tiger subspecies is not entirely settled: the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group notes that recent genetic studies support a two-subspecies classification, while older schemes recognized several mainland and island forms separately. It therefore helps to distinguish the regional name from the ongoing taxonomic debate.

Tigers are large cats with reddish-orange to yellowish coats marked by dark stripes and pale undersides. Stripe patterns vary between individuals and can be used to distinguish animals in photographs. Size varies among populations and between sexes; no single measurement represents every Bengal tiger.

The Bengal tiger occurs across parts of the Indian subcontinent, including India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Within this region, its habitats include forests, grasslands and wetlands. The Sundarbans, a vast mangrove landscape shared by India and Bangladesh, is a distinctive coastal habitat in which tigers live among tidal waterways and mangrove vegetation.

Tiger populations depend on suitable cover, water and adequate prey. The distribution of habitat is often fragmented by human land use, so corridors between protected areas can be important for movement and population connectivity.

Tigers generally hunt alone, using concealment and a short ambush rather than sustained pursuit. Their prey varies by location and may include medium- and large-sized hoofed mammals. Individuals use scent marking, scratches and vocalizations in territorial communication. Females raise cubs, which remain dependent on their mother before becoming independent; adult tigers are otherwise mostly solitary.

Tigers as a species are assessed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The Cat Specialist Group reports that wild tiger numbers and range remain limited and fragmented, despite conservation gains in some areas. Major pressures include habitat loss and fragmentation, depletion of prey, poaching and illegal trade, and conflict where people and tigers share landscapes.

India’s 2022 national tiger estimation used field surveys, camera traps and statistical methods. Its summary reported 3,080 individual tigers photographed and a minimum population estimate of 3,167 in the surveyed national context. These are counts and estimates for tigers in India, not a global estimate specifically for Bengal tigers. Such monitoring helps guide conservation, but maintaining connected habitat and reducing threats remain essential.