Bengal tigers:

Powerful predators

The majestic subspecies of one of the five big cats, the Bengal tiger was in the limelight a few weeks ago, due to the drama surrounding the struggle by Dehiwela zoo officials to keep alive a new born cub which was being rejected by its mother who gave birth to it on October 22. Everyone was broken-hearted to learn that the cute little nameless cub did not survive. If it had lived, it would surely have helped bolster the dwindling population of its kind, even in a small way.

Tigers, just as much as leopards are awesome animals in their vibrantly hued, striped fur coats. And, among the many tiger subspecies, the Bengal tiger is perhaps the most striking with its flame coloured fur which immediately captures your attention, if you happen to see one in a zoo. Of course, in its natural habitat, the Bengal tiger blends well with the environment and is not so conspicuous. Perhaps,the poet William Blake was inspired by the Bengal tiger when he wrote the famous poem 'Tiger', which goes thus.

Tiger! tiger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy feared symmetry?

Golden tabby.

The white variation.

A powerful predator, the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) or Royal Bengal tiger is the largest of the five tiger subspecies and the most common. It is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. This striking big cat has a striped fur coat; dark brown to black stripes on a yellow to amber or flame orange background. It is known as the Golden tabby while the variation or a mutation of this tiger species, the white Bengal tiger, has a coat of white with either dark brown, reddish brown or black stripes. Some are entirely white. However, the white tigers are not very common in the wilds. The Bengal tiger's belly area is white and so is its tail, which has black rings.

The total body length of a male tiger, including its tail is 270-310 cm. Females are smaller, about 240-265 cm in length. The tail alone measures about 110 cm. A Bengal tiger weighs 235 kg but the tigress is only about 140 kg in weight. It is believed that Bengal tigers are on average larger than Siberian tigers.

Bengal tigers, unlike lions, do not live in prides. They are generally solitary animals, however they have been spotted hunting in packs sometimes. As tigers are totally carnivorous creatures they prefer to hunt large prey such as sambur, and water buffalo. Wild boar, hog, deer, muntajac, and gray langur are also hunted by them. Some of the small prey include hares, peafowls and porcupines. If they encroach human settlements, they attack domestic livestock.

The powerful predators which are good swimmers and climbers are known to attack other predatory animals such as leopards, wolves,jackals, foxes, Asiatic bears, sloth bears and crocodiles too, even though they are not strictly a part of their diet.

The Bengal tiger uses stealthy hunting techniques and approaches its prey from the side or behind. It is quick to disappear or melt into the wilderness background and become invisible when spotted. But generally it stalks the prey at a close distance, as possible. It is known to leap more than 30 ft (9 m) in a single bound when the need arises. It brings down a victim in a flying tackle, forcing its canine teeth into the spine or throat. Bengal tigers are known to have the largest canine teeth among all felids. They are about four inches long.

You may have heard of these tigers attacking humans occasionally. According to experts, tigers generally became man eaters when they grow old and cannot hunt any longer. However, it is not the only reasons. When there is an imbalance in the food chain or when a young tiger has injured its teeth or paws and finds it difficult to tear its prey, then the tiger decides to hunt human prey.

Bengal tigers are highly protected today because of the fast dwindling population. The population in the Indian subcontinent according to a survey done this year is estimated to be less than 2,500. of these, about 1,165 - 1,657 are said to be in India, 200-419 in Bangladesh 100-194 in Nepal and another 67-81 in Bhutan.

One of the major threats to their existence is habitat losses and the extremely large-scale poaching. The illegal trade in poached body parts and skin, in the Indian subcontinent between India, Nepal and China is considered a major threat.

For at least a thousand years, tiger bones have been an ingredient in traditional medicines which are used as muscle strengtheners, treatment for rheumatism and other body aches and pains.

The Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 enables government agencies to take strict measures to ensure the protection and conservation of these beautiful and powerful cats.

Various conservation projects have been launched by India, establishing special national parts and Save the Tiger Funds to protect the Bengal tiger which is a national icon. It has been India's national symbol since about the 25th century BCE.

Cubs and mums

The birth of a Bengal tiger cub whether in the wilds or in captivity is certainly a significant event as these majestic cats are faced with extinction today.

Many births have been recorded of these powerful animals in captivity, in zoos. The recent birth that took place at the Dehiwela zoo captured the attention of many. However, as the mother tigress rejected the cute cub (pictured here) and refused to feed it, the cub did not survive, despite all the efforts taken by the authorities to hand rear it.

It is said that sometimes animals in captivity refuse to care for their young after giving birth.

Remember the polar bear cub named Knut born at a German zoo which became world famous when its mother rejected it and zoo officials decided to hand rear it?

In the wilds, however, mothers rarely abandon their new borns. A Bengal tigress, generally gives birth to its first cub when it's three or four years old, after a gestation (pregnancy period) of about 104-106 days. The litter of cubs which can number between 2-5 or 6 cubs,is born in a shelter in the tall grass, thick bush or in caves. Newborn cubs weigh around 780-1600 g (2 lbs) and have a coat which is thick and wooly. The coat is shed when they are about three to five months old.

They are blind at birth and even their ears are closed. Their milk teeth start to erupt only after two or three weeks and are replaced by permanent teeth when they are about two months old.

Tiger cubs need to be nursed by their mums for 3-6 months but begin to eat small amounts of solid food at about two months.

At this age they trail behind their mothers on her hunting expeditions.

By the time they reach five months, they start to take part in hunting. Both male and females become independent of their mother, when they are about 18 months old.

At this point, the cubs have to establish their own territory. Young males generally move away from their mother's territory than young females.

Male tigers are fiercely protective of their territory and defend it by engaging in serious fights. Females are less territorial and may even share its territory with another female. A male's territory is much larger than that of a female's.

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Fast facts

* India hosts about two thirds of the Bengal tiger population.

* As of June 2009, tigers are found in 37 tiger reserves spread across 17 Indian states.

* The Chitwan - Parsa - Valmiki Tiger Conservation Unit in Nepal is said to be the best in the

world. The only other conservation project to rival it is the Western Ghats forest complex in

western South India, covering an extent of 14,400 square miles, stretching across several

highly protected areas.

* In the past, Indian census on wild tigers were carried out using the identification of individ

ual footprints known as 'pug marks'. Today modern camera trap counting methods are used.

* Indian zoos have been breeding tigers since 1880, the first breeding success was recorded at

Alipote zoo in Kolkata.

Facts and pix : Internet