India is home to the largest population of wild tigers globally. Successful conservation initiatives have established India as the most important territory for the species’ long-term survival. The country currently shelters approximately 75% of the world’s wild tiger population, making its conservation efforts an internationally significant achievement.
The Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is the subspecies found across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. This predator ranks among the largest of all wild cat species. Adult males can weigh between 130 and 230 kilograms, with a total length often exceeding three meters, including the tail.
These big cats are primarily solitary and territorial, marking their extensive home ranges with scent to communicate with other tigers. They are carnivorous stalk-and-ambush hunters, typically operating during the twilight hours and at night. Their diet mainly consists of large ungulates, such as sambar deer, chital, wild boar, and gaur.
Bengal tigers are opportunistic feeders, occasionally preying on smaller mammals like porcupines and hares, and sometimes even other predators. The female tiger is the basic social unit, staying with her cubs until they are about two years old before they disperse to establish their own territories.
Key Habitats and Geographical Range
Tigers in India are distributed across a vast, ecologically diverse landscape spanning 20 states. Their habitats range from the high-altitude subtropical forests of the Himalayan foothills to the tropical moist evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. This adaptability allows them to thrive in varied environments, from dry deciduous forests to alluvial grasslands.
The Sundarbans, a massive mangrove forest shared with Bangladesh, represents a unique environment where tigers have adapted to a tidal, swampy ecosystem. Central India is another major tiger landscape, containing a high density of the species in reserves like Kanha and Bandhavgarh, characterized by tropical dry and moist deciduous forests. This central region is vital for connecting tiger populations across different states.
Further south, the Western Ghats contain a significant tiger population in reserves such as Bandipur and Nagarhole, inhabiting lush, moist forests. Maintaining these habitat corridors between reserves is a major focus, as it allows for the movement of tigers and helps ensure genetic diversity across the fragmented landscape.
Population Status and Conservation Efforts
India’s tiger population has seen a recovery due to focused conservation efforts. The 2022 census estimated the wild tiger population in India at an average of 3,682 individuals. This figure represents a significant increase from the low of 1,411 recorded in 2006.
Project Tiger, launched by the Government of India in 1973, is the backbone of this conservation success. This initiative established a network of protected areas known as Tiger Reserves, managed with the specific goal of ensuring a viable tiger population. The number of these reserves has grown substantially over time, providing safe havens for the species.
Conservation efforts focus on securing core areas within these reserves and mitigating threats from human activities. Primary challenges include habitat loss, fragmentation of forests due to infrastructure development, and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. Protecting the tiger also safeguards the health of the entire ecosystem, as a healthy predator population indicates a balanced environment.