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==Diet==
==Diet==
Bengal tigers hunt small-sized and large-sized [[animal]]s, such as wild [[boar]], [[barasingha]], [[chital]], [[nilgai]], [[gaur]], [[Wild Asian Water Buffalo|water buffalo]], [[domestic water buffalo]], [[rhinoceros]], [[foxes]], and they also feed on [[fish]] and other animals. They sometimes prey on smaller animals such as [[hare]]s, [[monkeys]], [[langurs]] or [[peacocks]], and [[carrion]] is also readily taken. Bengal tigers have also been known to prey on young [[Asian Elephant]]s and [[Rhinoceros|rhino]] calves in rare documented cases<ref name="der-tiger">Vratislav Mazak: ''Der Tiger''. Nachdruck der 3. Auflage von 1983.Westarp Wissenschaften Hohenwarsleben, 2004 ISBN 3 894327596</ref>. For instance, the [[World Wildlife Fund]] is fostering an orphaned rhino whose mother was killed by a tiger. Famous Indian hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett described an incident where two tigers fought and killed a large bull elephant.<ref name="der-tiger" /> Bengal tigers have also been known to take other predators such as [[Indian Leopard|leopards]], [[Indian Wolf|wolves]], [[jackal]]s, [[fox]]es, [[crocodile]]s, [[Asiatic Black Bears]], [[Sloth bear]]s, and [[dhole]]s as prey, although these predators are not typically a part of the tiger's diet.
Bengal tigers hunt small-sized and large-sized [[animal]]s, such as wild [[boar]], [[barasingha]], Jayhawks, [[chital]], [[nilgai]], [[gaur]], [[Wild Asian Water Buffalo|water buffalo]], [[domestic water buffalo]], [[rhinoceros]], [[foxes]], and they also feed on [[fish]] and other animals. They sometimes prey on smaller animals such as [[hare]]s, [[monkeys]], [[langurs]] or [[peacocks]], and [[carrion]] is also readily taken. Bengal tigers have also been known to prey on young [[Asian Elephant]]s and [[Rhinoceros|rhino]] calves in rare documented cases<ref name="der-tiger">Vratislav Mazak: ''Der Tiger''. Nachdruck der 3. Auflage von 1983.Westarp Wissenschaften Hohenwarsleben, 2004 ISBN 3 894327596</ref>. For instance, the [[World Wildlife Fund]] is fostering an orphaned rhino whose mother was killed by a tiger. Famous Indian hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett described an incident where two tigers fought and killed a large bull elephant.<ref name="der-tiger" /> Bengal tigers have also been known to take other predators such as [[Indian Leopard|leopards]], [[Indian Wolf|wolves]], [[jackal]]s, [[fox]]es, [[crocodile]]s, [[Asiatic Black Bears]], [[Sloth bear]]s, and [[dhole]]s as prey, although these predators are not typically a part of the tiger's diet.


It is said that the Bengal tiger almost always preys on smaller animals such as [[deer]] and boar{{By whom}}, the bengal tiger is a [[solitary]] hunter, it needs to be very strong to enable it to take down large prey such as gaur and water buffalo{{Dubious|date=November 2008}}. Bengal tigers prefer to hunt mostly by day, but are awake in the nighttime. During the day, the cover of the tall "[[elephant grass]]" gives the feline excellent [[camouflage]]. Bengals kill prey by overpowering their victim and severing the [[spinal cord]] (preferred method for smaller prey), or applying a [[suffocation]] bite of the throat for large prey. A Bengal tiger will usually drag its kill to a safe place to eat away from possible predators. Despite their size, Bengal tigers can climb trees effectively, but they are not as adept as the smaller [[leopard]], which hides its kills from other [[predators]] in the trees. Bengal tigers are also strong and frequent swimmers, often ambushing drinking or swimming prey or chasing prey that has retreated into water. The Bengal tiger can consume up to about 30 kg (66 lb) of meat at a time and then go without eating for days.<ref>{{cite news | title=Bengal Tiger| url=http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bengal-tiger.html| publisher=National Geographic | accessdate=2007-05-01}}</ref> These tigers normally hunt deer or anything above 100 pounds, but when driven to hunger, it will eat anything, such as frogs, fowl, crocodiles, domestic livestock and sometimes humans. Bengal Tigers are [[apex predators]] and have no natural predators outside of man.
It is said that the Bengal tiger almost always preys on smaller animals such as [[deer]] and boar{{By whom}}, the bengal tiger is a [[solitary]] hunter, it needs to be very strong to enable it to take down large prey such as gaur and water buffalo{{Dubious|date=November 2008}}. Bengal tigers prefer to hunt mostly by day, but are awake in the nighttime. During the day, the cover of the tall "[[elephant grass]]" gives the feline excellent [[camouflage]]. Bengals kill prey by overpowering their victim and severing the [[spinal cord]] (preferred method for smaller prey), or applying a [[suffocation]] bite of the throat for large prey. A Bengal tiger will usually drag its kill to a safe place to eat away from possible predators. Despite their size, Bengal tigers can climb trees effectively, but they are not as adept as the smaller [[leopard]], which hides its kills from other [[predators]] in the trees. Bengal tigers are also strong and frequent swimmers, often ambushing drinking or swimming prey or chasing prey that has retreated into water. The Bengal tiger can consume up to about 30 kg (66 lb) of meat at a time and then go without eating for days.<ref>{{cite news | title=Bengal Tiger| url=http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bengal-tiger.html| publisher=National Geographic | accessdate=2007-05-01}}</ref> These tigers normally hunt deer or anything above 100 pounds, but when driven to hunger, it will eat anything, such as frogs, fowl, crocodiles, domestic livestock and sometimes humans. Bengal Tigers are [[apex predators]] and have no natural predators outside of man.

Revision as of 18:58, 2 January 2009

Bengal Tiger
Bengal Tiger in India's Bandhavgarh Reserve.

Endangered
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Felidae
Genus:
Panthera
Species:
P. tigris
Subspecies:
P. t. tigris
Trinomial name
Panthera tigris tigris
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The Bengal Tiger, or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris or Panthera tigris bengalensis), is a subspecies of tiger primarily found in Bangladesh, India, and also Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, Myanmar and southern Tibet.[1] It has traditionally been considered the second largest subspecies after the Siberian tiger, but Northern Bengal Tigers are often larger than Siberian tigers. So far the heaviest Bengal tigers captured in Nepal for research have been heavier than recently captured Siberian tigers.[2] It is the most common tiger subspecies, living in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, subtropical and tropical rain forests, scrub forests, wet and dry deciduous forests, and mangroves. The Bengal subspecies P. tigris tigris is the national animal of Bangladesh, while at the species level the Tiger Panthera tigris is the national animal of India [3].


Diet

Bengal tigers hunt small-sized and large-sized animals, such as wild boar, barasingha, Jayhawks, chital, nilgai, gaur, water buffalo, domestic water buffalo, rhinoceros, foxes, and they also feed on fish and other animals. They sometimes prey on smaller animals such as hares, monkeys, langurs or peacocks, and carrion is also readily taken. Bengal tigers have also been known to prey on young Asian Elephants and rhino calves in rare documented cases[4]. For instance, the World Wildlife Fund is fostering an orphaned rhino whose mother was killed by a tiger. Famous Indian hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett described an incident where two tigers fought and killed a large bull elephant.[4] Bengal tigers have also been known to take other predators such as leopards, wolves, jackals, foxes, crocodiles, Asiatic Black Bears, Sloth bears, and dholes as prey, although these predators are not typically a part of the tiger's diet.

It is said that the Bengal tiger almost always preys on smaller animals such as deer and boar[by whom?], the bengal tiger is a solitary hunter, it needs to be very strong to enable it to take down large prey such as gaur and water buffalo[dubious – discuss]. Bengal tigers prefer to hunt mostly by day, but are awake in the nighttime. During the day, the cover of the tall "elephant grass" gives the feline excellent camouflage. Bengals kill prey by overpowering their victim and severing the spinal cord (preferred method for smaller prey), or applying a suffocation bite of the throat for large prey. A Bengal tiger will usually drag its kill to a safe place to eat away from possible predators. Despite their size, Bengal tigers can climb trees effectively, but they are not as adept as the smaller leopard, which hides its kills from other predators in the trees. Bengal tigers are also strong and frequent swimmers, often ambushing drinking or swimming prey or chasing prey that has retreated into water. The Bengal tiger can consume up to about 30 kg (66 lb) of meat at a time and then go without eating for days.[5] These tigers normally hunt deer or anything above 100 pounds, but when driven to hunger, it will eat anything, such as frogs, fowl, crocodiles, domestic livestock and sometimes humans. Bengal Tigers are apex predators and have no natural predators outside of man.

Population

Since the early 1990s the tiger population has begun to decline again, due to habitat destruction and large-scale poaching for tiger skins and bones. The Bangladeshi government is trying hard to show the world that the tiger is thriving in Bangladesh, often using controversial techniques like taking molds of paw prints to track tiger populations. It was recently discovered that tigers have been wiped out from one of Project Tiger's leading sanctuaries, Sariska.

The current population of wild Bengal tigers in the Indian subcontinent is now estimated to be between 1,300 and 1,500[6], which is less than half of the previous estimate of 3,000-4,500 tigers. This estimate is based on a state-by-state census conducted in India in 2001. Today's reports show there are fewer than 200 tigers left in the wild.

Habitat losses and the extremely large scale incidences of poaching are serious threats to species survival. Poachers kill tigers not only for their pelts, but also for body parts used to make various traditional East Asian medicines. Other factors contributing to their loss are urbanization and revenge killing. Farmers blame tigers for killing cattle and will shoot them. Poachers also kill tigers for their bones and teeth to make medicines that are alleged to provide the tiger's strength. The hunting for Chinese medicine and fur is the biggest cause of decline of the tigers. In India, retired Indian Army personnel are being recruited to save the Bengal tiger from poaching gangs.

Genetic pollution in wild Bengal tigers

Tara, a hand-reared supposedly Bengal tigress acquired from Twycross Zoo in England in July 1976, was trained by Billy Arjan Singh and reintroduced to the wild in Dudhwa National Park, India with the permission of India’s then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in an attempt to prove the experts wrong that zoo-bred hand-reared tigers can ever be released in the wild with success. In the 1990s some tigers from Dudhwa were observed which had the typical appearance of Siberian tigers: white complexion, pale fur, large head and wide stripes. With recent advances in science it was subsequently found that Siberian tigers genes have polluted the otherwise pure Bengal tiger gene pool of Dudhwa National Park. It was proved later that Twycross Zoo had been irresponsible and maintained no breeding records and had given India a hybrid Siberian-Bengal Tigress instead. Dudhwa tigers constitute about 1% of India's total wild population, but the possibility exists of this genetic pollution spreading to other tiger groups; at its worst, this could jeopardize the Bengal tiger as a distinct subspecies[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16].

Re-wilding project in South Africa

There is a Bengal tiger rewilding project started by John Varty in 2000. This project involves bringing captive-bred zoo Bengal tiger cubs, and for them to be trained by their human trainers so that the tigers can regain their predatory instincts. Once they prove that they can sustain themselves in the wild, they would be released into the wilderness of Africa to fend for themselves. Their trainers, John Varty and Dave Salmoni (Big Cat trainer and zoologist), have to teach them how to stalk, hunt, and most importantly to associate hunting with food. It is claimed that two bengal tigers have already succeeded in re-wilding and two more tigers are currently undergoing their re-wilding training. This project is featured by The Discovery Channel as a documentary, "Living With Tigers". It was voted one of the best Discovery Channel documentaries in 2003.

A strong criticism about this project is with the chosen cubs. Experts state that the four tigers (Ron, Julie, Seatao and Shadow) involved in the rewilding project are not purebred Bengal tigers and should not be used for breeding. The four tigers are not recorded in the Bengal tiger Studbook and should not be deemed as purebred Bengal tigers. Many tigers in the world's zoos are genetically impure and there is no reason to suppose these four are not among them.[17] The 1997 International Tiger Studbook lists the current global captive population of Bengal tigers at 210 tigers. All of the studbook-registered captive population is maintained in Indian zoos, except for one female Bengal tiger in North America.[18] It is important to note that Ron and Julie (2 of the tigers) were bred in the USA and hand-raised at Bowmanville Zoo in Canada[19], while Seatow and Shadow are two tigers bred in South Africa.[20]

The tigers in the Tiger Canyons Project have recently been confirmed to be crossbred Siberian/Bengal tigers. Tigers that are not genetically pure are not allowed to be released into the wild and will not be able to participate in the tiger Species Survival Plan which aims to breed genetically pure tiger specimens and individuals.[21] In short, these tigers do not have any genetic value.[21]

The documentary has been proven to be a fraud.[22] The Tigers are unable to hunt and film crew chased the prey up against the fence and into the path of the tigers just for the sake of dramatic footage. Cory Meacham, a US-based environmental journalist mentioned that "the film has about as much to do with tiger conservation as a Disney cartoon." In addition, the tigers have not been released - and indeed still reside in a small enclosure under constant watch and with frequent human contact. The Discovery documentary contains footage which its maker, John varty, has admitted on affidavit to be false. Conservationists fear that public will be misled in this cynical fashion.[23]

Using technology to save Tigers in India

The WII estimates showed that tiger numbers had fallen in Madhya Pradesh by 61%, Maharashtra by 57%, and Rajasthan by 40%. Compare this with the government's first tiger census; conducted under the Project Tiger initiative, begun in 1973, it counted 1,827 tigers in the country that year. Since then the tiger population saw a steady rise to reach 3,700 tigers in 2002. Use of technology has effectively curtailed the numbers by half.

Tiger scientists in India like Raghu Chundavat and Ulhas Karanth have faced lot of backlash from the forest department. Both these scientists have been for years calling for use of technology in the conservation efforts. For instance, Raghu, in the past, had been involved with radio telemetry, i.e., collaring the tigers. Ulhas has been instrumental in using camera traps. Even the project to map all the forest reserves in India has not been completed yet, though the Ministry of Environment and Forests had sanctioned Rs. 13 million for the same in March 2004.

A recent article written by Shashwat DC and published in the Dataquest Magazine, talks about the issue in complete detail[1]. In the story noted Wildlife expert, George Schaller has been quoted as saying:

India has to decide whether it wants to keep the tiger or not. It has to decide if it is worthwhile to keep its National Symbol, its icon, representing wildlife. It has to decide if it wants to keep its natural heritage for future generations, a heritage more important than the cultural one, whether we speak of its temples, the Taj Mahal, or others, because once destroyed it cannot be replaced. If the answer is yes, then plans can be made and implemented.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Most numerous tiger pushed out of its home". World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
  2. ^ Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (ALTA)
  3. ^ National Animal- Panthera tigris Govt. of India website.
  4. ^ a b Vratislav Mazak: Der Tiger. Nachdruck der 3. Auflage von 1983.Westarp Wissenschaften Hohenwarsleben, 2004 ISBN 3 894327596
  5. ^ "Bengal Tiger". National Geographic. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  6. ^ "Bengal tiger population re-estimated". Yahoo News. August 4 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Indian tiger isn't 100 per cent “swadeshi (Made in India)”; by PALLAVA BAGLA; Indian Express Newspaper; November 19 1998
  8. ^ Tainted Royalty, WILDLIFE: ROYAL BENGAL TIGER, A controversy arises over the purity of the Indian tiger after DNA samples show Siberian tiger genes. By Subhadra Menon. INDIA TODAY, November 17 1997
  9. ^ The Tale of Tara, 4: Tara's Heritage from Tiger Territory website
  10. ^ Genetic pollution in wild Bengal tigers, Tiger Territory website
  11. ^ Interview with Billy Arjan Singh: Dudhwa's Tiger man, October 2000, Sanctuary Asia Magazine, sanctuaryasia.com
  12. ^ Mitochondrial DNA sequence divergence among big cats and their hybrids by Pattabhiraman Shankaranarayanan* and Lalji Singh*, *Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, CCMB Campus, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India
  13. ^ Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA), Government of India
  14. ^ "Indians Look At Their Big Cats' Genes", Science, Random Samples, Volume 278, Number 5339, Issue of 31 October 1997, 278: 807 (DOI: are you gay10.1126/science.278.5339.807b) (in Random Samples),The American Association for the Advancement of Science
  15. ^ BOOKS By & About Billy Arjan Singh
  16. ^ Book - Tara : The Cocktail Tigress/Ram Lakhan Singh. Edited by Rahul Karmakar. Allahabad, Print World, 2000, xxxviii, 108 p., ills., $22. ISBN 81-7738-000-1. A book criticizing Billy Arjan Singh's release of hand reared hybrid Tigress Tara in the wild at Dudhwa National Park in India
  17. ^ Releasing Captive Tigers - South Africa
  18. ^ Save The Tiger Fund | Bengal Tiger
  19. ^ Ron and Julie, Living with Tigers, Tiger Canyons, John Varty
  20. ^ Seatao and Shadow, Tiger Canyons, John Varty
  21. ^ a b Purrrfect Breed?
  22. ^ http://www.wildeye.co.uk/wildlife-film/Wfn/wfn56.htm
  23. ^ http://www.nomadtours.co.za/article_2006-6-2_5.html

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Panthera tigris tigris.
Wikispecies has information related to Panthera tigris tigris.
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