Bengal tigers survive in much reduced and fragmented range a century ago. They survive in Bhutan, India, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal. There are around 3,100 to 4,700 species remaining in the wild; while in captivity the numbers are 330 mostly in Indian zoos. White tigers are a color mutant of Bengal tigers, but they are rarely found in the wild. Continue reading to know Where Do Bengal Tigers Live and Where Do They Make Their Habitats.
Bengal Tiger Habitat ranges from the coniferous cold Himalayan mountains to the humid and warm mangroves of the Sunderbans together with the dry hills of the Indian peninsula. Bengal tiger primarily preys on cattle and deer. Once there were eight tiger subspecies but at the beginning of the 20th century three became extinct. The 20th century proved to be the most drastic era for tigers due to extreme deforestation and large scale hunting. Bengal tigers are also known as Indian tigers as they live in India.
Where Do Bengal Tigers Live | Bengal Tigers Habitat and Range
Evidence suggests that tigers have emerged in Sri Lanka in the pluvial period when the sea levels were depressed, some 20,000 years ago. Bengal tigers have occupied evergreen forests, tropical forests, tropical moist evergreen forests, moderate upland and alluvial grasslands and subtropical deciduous mangroves in the Indian Subcontinent. They are likely to survive in areas that have easy accessibility to the water and have abundance of prey. Sadly speaking, cutting down of forests for agricultural purposes force these cats to leave their natural habitats.
See also: Bengal Tiger Facts For Kids
Image Courtesy of smashinglists.com
Bangladesh
The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and are found in the mangrove forests of Sundarban. As of survey 2004, there were around 200 to 419 Bengal tigers remaining in the wild of Sundarbans. Bangladesh’s government is trying to make this region a prey-abundant habitat for Bengal tigers by introducing spotted deer along with raising mangrove plantations. Bengal tigers occupy an area of 5,770 sq. km (2,230 sq. km).
India
Bengal tigers survive all throughout the temperate upland forests of India such as Hazaribagh National Park, Melghat Tiger Reserve, Panna National Park, Ratapani Tiger Reserve, Orissa dry forests, and Kanha-Indravati corridor. Some other reserves include Bandipur, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, and Kalakad-Mundathurai.
There are around 259 to 335 Bengal tigers in the Shivaliks-Gangetic flood plains occupying a wide range of 5,080 sq. km (1,960 sq. miles) of forested habitats. They are also found in Sohagi Barwa Sanctuary and Suhelwa Tiger Reserve in the Valmiki National Park.
See also: What Do Bengal Tigers Eat
In the Central Indian highlands, the tigers range from 437 to 661 individuals occupying an area of 48,610 sq. km (18,770 sq. miles) in the landscapes of Sanjay-Palamau and Kanha-Pench; some species living in the Panna parks and Bandhavgarh Tadoba.
Around 49 to 57 Bengal tigers live in the Eastern Ghats with a range of 7,772 sq. km (3,001 sq. miles). These are found in the isolated pockets of the forests in Nagarjunasagar Tiger Reserve and Gundla Braheshwara National Park.
Read More: Do Bengal Tigers Live in the Rainforest?
Image Courtesy of Vanderlei Almeida /AFP / Getty Images
Nepal
The largest concentration of Bengal tigers in Nepal is found in Chitwan National Park while some species are separated by cultivation and densely settle habitat. They occupy a range of 2,543 sq. km (982 sq. miles) in the prime lowland forest. There are no more than 125 Bengal tigers surviving in Nepal.
Bhutan
The estimated population of these cats in Bhutan comprises of 67 to 81 individuals. They live at an altitude of 200 meters (660 feet) in the foothills of subtropical Himalayas.
Learn more: Where Do Bengal Tigers Live?
