Where Do Tigers Live

 Where Do Tigers Live?

Tiger is the largest wild cat species on the Earth. Once the tigers lived  from the Eastern Anatolia Region in the west to the Amur River basin, as well as from the sub-Himalaya in the south to Bali in the westernmost part of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Since the beginning of the 20th century, about 93% of their historical range has lost. Today's tiger range extends from the temperate forests of Siberia to the subtropical and tropical forests of the Indian subcontinent and Sumatra. The number of tigers has decreased so they are listed as endangered by the IUCN.

Where Do Bengal Tigers Live?

Bengal tiger, also known as Indian Tiger and Royal Bengal Tiger. The scientific name of the Bengal tiger is Panthera tigris tigris. Bengal tigers are found in dense forest of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. Their habitats are tropical rain forests, marshes and tall grasses mangrove forests and in both tropical and dry forests. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that 2154 to 3159 Bengal tigers are now surviving in the wild. According to camera trap, the highest recorded tiger presence was 3602 metres in India and 4038 metres in Bhutan. The latest analysis of the Global Tigers Forum (GTF) found out that there are two Himalayan zones, eastern Himalaya and western Himalaya and extend across India, Bhutan and Nepal, which are suitable for tiger habitat. According to GTF, there are five high altitude tiger landscapes-

1.   Manas- Jigme-Dorji-Royal Manas (India, Bhutan)

2.   Valmiki – Chitwan – Annapurna (India, Nepal)

3.   Askot – Pithoragarh- Nandhaur – Suklaphanta (India, Nepal)

4.   Neora Valley – Torsa – Buxa –Pibsu (India, Bhutan)

5.   Arunachal – Sikkim – bordering areas of Bhutan

In Nepal, the largest population of Bengal tigers are found in Chitwan National Park and in the Parsa National Park. Bengal tigers are also found in Bardia-Banke National Park in the Lumbini Province and in Shuklaphanta National Park in the Terai of the Far Western Region. Now 220 to 274 Bengal tigers are living in Nepal.

In Bangladesh, Bengal tigers live in the forest of the Sundarbans and Chittagong Hill Tracks. Most of Bengal tigers live in the mangrove forests of Sundarbans, areas of 5770 square kilometres.

There are nine sub-species of tigers but three of them became extinct during the 20th century.

 The extant tiger species are:-

·       Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)

·       Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

·       Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)

·       South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis)

·       Indo-Chinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti)

·       Malayan Tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni)

The extinct subspecies of tiger are:-

·       Bali Tiger (Panthera tigris balica)

·       Javan Tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica)

·       Caspian Tiger (Panthera tigris virgate)

In India, Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Tiger Project stabilize the number of tigers. Government tries to save the Bengal tigers from getting extinct.

 In 1973, Project Tiger was launched to protect the Bengal tiger from poachers and getting extinct. This project is helping to get their natural habitats back.

Now there are 50 Project Tiger Wildlife reserves in India which cover more than 70,000 sq km areas are set up by the Indian Government.

October to March is the perfect time to visit the National Park. April to June is the hottest months, when the tigers cool themselves in the rivers or any water bodies, so it is the best time to see them.

Here are 15 Tiger Reserve in India:-

1.   Sundarban National Park, West Bengal

2.   Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

3.   Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

4.   Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

5.   Tadoba National Park, Maharashtra

6.   Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand

7.   Panna National Park, Panna

8.   Satpura National Park, Karnataka

9. Sariska Wildlife Santuary, Alwar

10. Manas National Park, Assam

11.    Dudhwa National Park, Uttarakhand

12.    Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagpur

13.    Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh

14.    Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

15.  Bandipur National Park, Karnataka

Bengal tigers can live 8 to 10 tears in the wild but in

captivity, they can live up to 25 years.

Where Do Siberian Tigers or Amur Tigers Live?

Siberian tiger or Amur tiger is the biggest subspecies of tigers. Adult male tiger can grow 11 feet long and weight is over 660 pounds. Amur tigers live in extremely cold temperature where deep snow is common. In the past, Amur tigers lived in Siberia and surrounding areas and called Siberian tigers but today they are not found in Siberia. They also lived in Korean Peninsula, north China and eastern Mongolia.

Now the Amur tiger live in Sikhote-Alin mountain region in south west Primorye Province in the Russian Far East and small population found in China and North Korea. Amur tiger lives in Russia’s birch forests that provide the lower human density and the most complete ecosystem.

Currently their range extends approximately 1000km from south to north, the length of Primorsky Krai and into southern Khabarovsk Krai east and south of the Amur River. Amur tigers also found within the Greater Xing’an Range.

Some Amur Tiger Reserve Forests:-

·                 Zov Tigra National Park- is the home of Amur tiger. The park is located on the southeast coast of Russia’s Far East in the federa district of Primorsky Krai.

·                 Sikhote Alin Biosphere Sanctuary- is located in a watershed on the eastern slopes of Central Sikhot-Alin in the districts of Terneski and Krasmenorski in Russia.

·                 Hunchun National Nature Reserve- is located In the Changbai Mountains of Jilin Province, Northeast China.

·                 The Wangqing Forestry Bureaui- is located in the Wangqing County, China’s Jilin province.

·                 Huangnihe Nature Reserve is located in the northeast of Mountain Changbai in China.

·                 Durminskoye Reserve in Russia

·                 Amur Region of Eastern Russia is the home to Amur Siberian Tigers.

There are 500 to 550 Amur tigers are living in the wild. Amur Siberian tiger live 15 to 17 years in the wild but they can live 20 to 25 years in captivity.

Where Do White Tigers Live?

White tigers born by a cross breeding between Bengal tiger and Siberian tiger. White tiger has white fur, caused by a lack of the pigment pheomelanin. White tigers live in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Sunderbans.

White tigers are found mainly in the zoos or in captivity but rarely found in the wild forest of Rewa State, Sundarbans region and the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. In Madhya Pradesh, India, world’s first Tiger Safari opened for public.

Some White Tigers Reserve Forests:-

·       Mukundpur Zoological Park, Madhya Pradesh, India.

·       Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India.

·       Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal, India.

·       Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India

·       Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India

According to Indian Tiger Welfare Society, there are 200 white tigers are surviving in the world. White tigers can live 10 to 12 years in the wild but in captivity, they can live up to 20 years.

Tigers lose their habitat due to logging, clearing the forest areas for agriculture, deforestation for development and also poaching or hunting. Due to habitat lose and also climate change, Bengal tigers are endangered.

Poaching or illegal hunting is one of the major causes for endangered the Bengal tiger.

The poachers kill the Bengal tigers for their skin and body parts and sell them to make money.

A huge demand of bones nails and other body parts to make Traditional Chinese medicines, the Bengal tigers are killed by the poachers. The jewelleries made from tiger’s bones, nails or teeth are sold in high price (millions) in the international markets.

Last 20th century, India has lost about 96% of Bengal tiger due to hunting, poaching and illegal wildlife trade.