Cannibalism, the act of consuming another individual of the same species, occurs across the animal kingdom, and tigers are no exception. While tigers are not routine cannibals, this behavior manifests under specific, high-pressure circumstances. It is a rare and highly situational occurrence, driven by intense biological or environmental pressures rather than simple hunger. Under these unusual conditions, the behavior serves an evolutionary purpose.
Infanticide as a Reproductive Strategy
The most common form of tiger cannibalism is infanticide, driven primarily by reproductive strategy. This behavior is almost exclusively carried out by incoming male tigers taking over a new territory. A new male kills the nursing cubs because the female, or tigress, will not enter estrus while she is lactating and caring for her young. Killing the cubs ensures her reproductive cycle restarts quickly, allowing the male to sire his own offspring sooner and increasing his genetic fitness.
Although the primary function is eliminating genetic competition, the consumption of the cub’s carcass frequently follows the killing. This consumption is secondary to the killing, serving as scavenging rather than targeted predation. It helps recover the energy expended during the territorial takeover and the act of infanticide itself.
Consuming Deceased or Weaker Adults
Cannibalism among adult tigers is exceedingly rare and generally falls into two categories: scavenging and desperate predation. Scavenging is the more common, often following a violent territorial dispute between two adult males. When a male is killed during a fight, the victor may opportunistically consume parts of the carcass as an acquisition of resources after the battle.
Predation on another adult is almost unheard of unless the victim is significantly weakened, severely injured, or elderly. A healthy, prime-age adult tiger poses too great a risk of injury to be considered viable prey. Desperate predation is only observed when a tiger is severely compromised, such as being too injured to hunt normal prey or being on the brink of starvation.
Environmental Factors Increasing Occurrence
The frequency of tiger cannibalism is closely tied to external environmental pressures and is often stress-induced. It directly correlates with severe resource scarcity in a given habitat. When the density of natural prey declines significantly, competition for food increases dramatically.
This scarcity makes the reproductive strategy of infanticide more critical, as resources cannot sustain the offspring of a rival male. Habitat fragmentation and human encroachment also reduce available territory, pushing tigers into closer contact and increasing fatal territorial confrontations. When prey density is low, consuming a rival’s carcass or a competitor’s young provides immediate caloric intake. Cannibalism, while unusual, acts as a survival mechanism in environments under severe ecological strain.