Save the Bengal Tigers
A Species at Risk of Extinction
About 2500 reman in the wild with a declining trend
Habitat
Bengal Tigers are seen primarily in India but smaller populations are also located in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar.These tigers are usually found in dry and wet deciduous forests, grassland and temperate forests, and mangrove forests. There are Sundarbans (land shared between India and Bangladesh) contain mangroves where tigers can be found but are threatened by an increasing sea level.
Since Bengal Tigers are at the top of the food chain they follow a random distribution pattern roaming around in small groups and rarely fighting each other
Life History
Survivor ship- These tigers follow a Type 1 curve because they have a high survival in early and mid life but follow a rapid decline at an older age
Fecundity- usually birth between 2-4 cubs
Sexual Maturity- females is 3-4 years and males is 4-5 years old
Bengal Tiger [excerpt] by Pro Sound Effects
Diet
Tigers are carnivores. They eat medium and large sized animals such as gaurs, sambar, chital, wild boar, deer, hogs or muntjacs.
They use defense mechanisms such as large sharp teeth, sharp claws, great speed and their ability to climb trees to catch prey
Tigers rarely have any intraspecific competition (competition between each other) for resources and tend to get along. They stick together and have interspecific competition with other animals.
World's Deadliest - Tiger vs. Monkeys
Symbiotic Relationship
Tigers have a symbiotic relationship with fleas and ticks. This is a parasitism relationship where the fleas and ticks benefit. Fleas and ticks attach to the tiger between its fur and suck blood to gain nutrients. The tiger feels pain and discomfort.
Major Threats
Poaching
In 1993 an international ban was introduced which made it illegal to trade and kill tigers. The Illegal demand for tigers as a status symbol, decorative item, and folk cure increased dramatically. The international Illegal wildlife trade is the largest threat to tigers.
Habitat Loss
Since the 1940's tigers have lost major habitat because many people have been populating the world. Habitat is also lost due to agriculture to feed all these people and clearing forests for developments such as road networking. Habitat loss forces tigers into small and scattered habitats.
Prey Loss
Tigers are also losing prey like deer and antelopes due to trade and for meat. tigers increasingly have been coming into contact with humans as they try to attack domestic animals or people while they come out of their small habitat to look for new prey.
Conservation Efforts
There are many Conservation efforts to help save the Bengal tigers. There are petitions you can sign that will help make the poaching laws more strict, you can symbolically adopt a Bengal tiger or you can even donate to many sanctuaries that protect tigers.
In my opinion the most successful way to help out the Bengal tigers is to keep them in sanctuaries and let them reproduce until they are old enough and ready to go back into the wild by themselves.
National Tiger Sanctuary, Branson, MO