* Threatened or Endangered
Bengal Tiger *
: Panthera tigris
: Mammal
: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and southern Tibet
: Wild boar, wild deer and antelope, gaur, water buffalo, fish, hares, monkeys and peacocks. Young Asian elephants and rhino calves when available.
: Weight 300 to 600 lbs.
: Endangered
A strong swimmer, these cats are at home in the water as well as the tall elephant grass of their native lands. Bengal tigers have been the focus of research to determine if captive raised cats can be released into the wild. In Africa, several cats have been experimentally introduced into an area set aside for this purpose, with good results.
Rare and strictly protected in their range, tiger numbers are generally on the decline due to habitat loss and poaching. Poachers hunt the tiger for its fur and also for bones and meat used in medicinal concoctions.