Wildlife Tour of Royal Bengal Tiger

Having long been a subject of imaginative literature, the tiger has triggered many a poet and author to pen work that can describe the alien and exotic quality of this creature of the Felidae family. The Bengal Tiger or the Royal Bengal Tiger (as it is pompously known in India) happens to be the most common sub-species of tiger, declared as the national animal of India along with countries like Bangladesh and Nepal.


Scientific Classification

Kingdom : Animalia Class : Mammalia Family : Felidae Species : P. Tigris Phylum : Chordata

Order : Carnivora Genus : Panthera Latin Name : Panthera tigris (Linnaeus) Local Names : Bagh/Sher (Hindi), Wagh (Marathi), Puli (Tamil/Telegu)

Physical Traits of Tiger
The biggest of cats, the tiger shows different traits depending on the sub-species. Generally a male tiger measure between 200 and 300 kg, whereas the females weigh between 120 and 180 kg. The average length of a male tiger ranges between 2.6 and 3.3 m. Females, however, are smaller, measuring between 2.3 and 2.75 m in length. Mostly, tigers bear an orange coat, a fair ventral area and stripes that can be brown of hay. The number and density of stripes on a tiger’s body varies as per their sub-species.


Habitat & Diet of Tiger
Tigers prefer a habitat where they can easily camouflage themselves. They mostly like to inhabit thick grass, dense jungles and undergrowth. And when these predators lie in wait of their prey, the stripes on the skin serve as a perfect disguise. In the forests of Ranthambore and Sariska in Rajasthan, the tiger can also be seen in the wrecking of monuments and temples. During summers, they can be spotted in pools as well. They are good swimmers too. Belonging to order Carnivora, they hunt for preys like deer, elephant, wild buffalo, wild pig etc.


Spotting the Royal Bengal Tiger
Over the last few decades, the population of tiger has been dwindling very badly. But, thanks to the Project Tiger Scheme that’s proved to be no less than a boon for these creatures. India has to boast numerous Tiger Reserves where the Royal Bengal Tiger can be seen prowling fearlessly.
Travellers need to visit the following national parks to have a chilling rendezvous with the majestic Bengal Tiger-

• Bandipur National Park (Karnataka)
• Jim Corbett National Park (Uttaranchal)
• Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan)
• Sunderbans National Park (West Bengal)
• Sariska Tiger Reserve(Rajasthan)
• Periyar National Park (Kerala)
• Bandhavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh)
• Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh)
• Dudhwa National Park (Uttar Pradesh)