As they need large areas to support viable populations, the rapid development and growing population of Asia poses a huge threat to their survival. Habitat loss, prey depletion, poaching and human-wildlife conflicts are the major causes of population decline of tigers in the wild. Furthermore, tiger reserves act as a storehouse for carbon as large tract of forests are protected for tigers. In many countries, including Bhutan, tigers also hold a strong cultural significance.

As the apex of their food chain, tigers keep wild ungulate populations under control which upholds the balance of vegetation growth and herbivores. The Royal Bengal tigers mainly inhabit the tropical forests of the Indian sub-continent, but in Bhutan, they have been recorded as high as 4,500 meters above sea level.Ĭlick to hear a Royal Bengal Tiger in the wildĪs a top predator, tigers play an important role in maintaining a diverse and healthy forest ecosystem within their habitat landscapes. Of the approximately 2,500 Royal Bengal tigers in the world, around 103 individuals live in Bhutan today. The Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is the most numerous of all the sub-species and inhabits Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal. The South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) occurs only in captivity. There are five extent sub-species of tigers in the wild today. Tigers are currently found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia and Thailand. It is estimated that there has been as much as a 50 per cent decline in the world’s tiger population over the last three decades, with less than 4000 individuals currently in the wild.

It has disappeared from central and south west Asia, from Java and Bali in Indonesia and from large areas of south east and eastern Asia. Once ranging widely across Asia, from the eastern coast of Russia to the Caspian Sea in the west, the majestic tiger is now an endangered species.

To learn more about tigers, watch this Tigers 101 video.The tiger is one of the world’s largest carnivores and can weigh over 300 kg and reach up to 3.3 metres. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old, and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory. Reproductionįemales give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in areas where their traditional prey has vanished. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds in one night, though they usually eat less.ĭespite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans however, a few do become dangerous killers. They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes) and hunt by stealth. They are powerful hunters that travel many miles to find prey, such as elk and wild boar, on nocturnal hunts. Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. Poaching is a reduced-but still very significant-threat to Siberian tigers. All six remaining tiger subspecies are threatened, and many protection programs are in place. Tigers are hunted as trophies and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Over the last hundred years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced overall tiger populations dramatically. There were once nine tiger subspecies, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Tigers are the largest of all wild cats and are renowned for their power and strength. The vast woodlands also allow tigers far more room to roam, as Russia's timber industry is currently less extensive than that of many other countries. Northern forests offer the lowest human density of any tiger habitat, and the most complete ecosystem. Though their northern climate is far harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have some advantages. They live primarily in eastern Russia's birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. Siberian (or Amur) tigers may be the world's largest cats.

Tiger predators and threats