bengal tiger
This is one of fifteen tiger species. Tigers scent mark their territory to let others know. Their urine smells like buttered popcorn! Tigers are the only type of big cat that are good swimming. They can swim across a 7-8 km river with no trouble!
description
A fascinating fact about Tigers is that each Tigers stripes are unique just like our fingerprints! Tigers have their stripes on their skin aswell! Tiger fur is usually coloured with orange stripes on a black base with a white underbelly. White tigers are rare with dark pink noses and blue eyes. Tigers with no stripes have been seen but are extremely rare. Tigers have the largest canine teeth of any land carnivores, and they have extremely powerful jaws. As well as this they are the worlds largest big cat!
habitat
The Bengal Tiger lives in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Burma. It lives in a variety of habitats, such as rainforests and thick grasslands.
diet & hunting
Tigers are at the top of the food chain. A Tiger will never eat all of the carcass that he has killed. Tigers are carnivores, they prey on small to medium sized mammals like badgers, rabbits, boars, deer and wild cattle ranging in weight from 25-1000kg.
They kill their food by jumping up behind their prey biting into its neck, killing it instantly. Approximately only 1 in 20 hunts are successful! The tiger will then drag the kill to a safe place where they will eat it. All Tiger species can eat as much as 30-40 kilograms of meat in 1 meal and can then go for days without eating! They can easily climb up a tree to get food, as you will see inn the video.
They kill their food by jumping up behind their prey biting into its neck, killing it instantly. Approximately only 1 in 20 hunts are successful! The tiger will then drag the kill to a safe place where they will eat it. All Tiger species can eat as much as 30-40 kilograms of meat in 1 meal and can then go for days without eating! They can easily climb up a tree to get food, as you will see inn the video.
breeding & caring for young
Females give birth to litters of 2 to 6 cubs. The cubs are raised with little or no help from the dad. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and they stay with their mothers for 2 to 3 years.
threats
The Bengal Tiger is critically endangered for many reasons. One of Tigers threats is killing for clothes, rugs and even more disgusting they use their bones and organs for traditional medicine! Even though this is illegal they still do it! When there is Tiger poaching in a national park the Indian government quickly covers up the whole thing! Loss of their habitat is another threat. Most of the habitat loss is for palm oil. By 2020 98% of Indonesia lowland rainforest will be gone!
conservation
There are countless number of zoos that are participating in Tiger breeding programs. There are also many national parks for tigers in India.
how you can help
- Don't buy any tiger or animal products. "They look much better on the animal" Steve Irwin
- Send letters to companies to boycott palm oil
- Spread The Message
- Adopt a tiger
- Send Letters To The Government About Protecting Benal Tigers Habitat & making Palm Oil illegal
- Most importantly have a Palm Oil free diet
image credits
World Wildlife Fund