Fun Bengal Tiger Facts For Kids

Royal Bengal tigers scientific name is Panthera tigris tigris. This majestic beast is one of the biggest wild cats with a glorious reputation.

They're a subspecies that is native to India and Nepal, they are also the country's national animal.

The Bengal tiger conservation status is currently listed as Endangered, this means their numbers are constantly dwindling due to habitat loss and illegal poaching for their skins.

These animals are not only the rarest but also the smartest among all of the big cats. Having the biggest brains a wild cat can have, they are highly intelligent and currently there are many efforts and campaigns taken up by governments and NGOs to help increase the number of these majestic wild cats.

It is a popular saying that the lion is the king of the jungle, but in reality, lions rule savannas while tigers are in fact, the jungle's real kings and queens. It is unfortunate that these royal cats are not only being forced out of their natural habitats, but are also being hunted down for various reasons.

Humans are the only ones that can be called Bengal tiger predators, and we don't even hunt them for food. The Bengal tiger population is steadily decreasing in the wild.

Not only is the Bengal tiger life cycle at risk but also their prey too. Due to habitat loss and territory encroachment, there are many times when we have seen Bengal tigers adapt and try to stay as far away from humans as possible, but these adaptations are all in vain.

We should educate ourselves through Bengal tigers fun facts, cool facts about Bengal tigers, interesting facts about Bengal tigers, and Bengal tiger facts for kids. There's just so much more to learn about them.

If you liked reading these Bengal tiger facts, you could also read facts on liger or eastern gorilla.

Bengal Tiger Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Bengal tiger?

Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris) are one of the smartest animals in the big cat species. From their smartness to their powerful hunting skills, Bengal tigers are one of the most beautiful big cats ever to exist.

What class of animal does a Bengal tiger belong to?

Being the viviparous animal that they are, the Bengal tiger subspecies falls under the mammalia classified category. A female can give birth to between 3 and 4 cubs.

Being solitary animals, females raise their cubs, nurture them, and teach them hunting skills as they get older. Bengal tiger food consists of various animals, but they mostly prefer to hunt smaller, younger animals or deer.

How many Bengal tigers are there in the world?

There are less than 2,000 royal Indian Bengal tigers left in the world. Hunting and human population growth, as well as illegal poaching, are the main threats to the Bengal tigers species.

As the human population increases, more development in India, Bangladesh and Nepal occurs. This has reduced the amount of wild habitat for the tiger and due to this encroachment these tigers may end up hunting or hurting humans.

Where does a Bengal tiger live?

Bengal tigers are found in various and diverse habitats including rainforests, grasslands, savannas and even some mangrove swamps near India and Nepal. Unfortunately, about 93% of historical tiger lands have disappeared, mainly because of expanding human activity. Hence, saving the tigers' subspecies includes saving forests that are vital to the health of the planet and our environment.

What is a Bengal tiger's habitat?

Bengal tiger habitats range from subtropical, tropical to moderate forests where there is easy watering hole access. Bengal tigers are found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and India.

In India, Bengal tigers are found in subtropical deciduous forests, tropical forests, mangroves, and certain grassland habitats. Bengal tiger habitat loss has resulted in a decrease in the Bengal tiger population in both India and Bangladesh.

Who do Bengal tigers live with?

Bengal tigers are known to be solitary animals. They are, in a way, the polar opposites of lions.

Bengal tigers prefer living by themselves. Bengal tigers only get together with females for mating, and they mark their territory by scratching the tree trunks and then spraying their urine to let other Bengal tigers know to keep away. Bengal tigers' cubs are known to live with their mothers until they are old enough to live independently.

How long does a Bengal tiger live?

Bengal tigers can live up to 25 years. This lifespan of Bengal tigers' is usually less when they are living in the wild due to a number of reasons, but the biggest reason is illegal poaching as observed in India and Bangladesh.

Deer and wild pigs are the most common prey for Bengal tigers, but they can hunt much larger animals like water buffalo and cows too.

How do they reproduce?

Bengal tigers usually mate throughout the year, but the majority of the cubs are born in the months of April and December. The female Bengal tigers' gestation period is about three months, and females can give birth to six cubs at a time.

Females prefer to give birth in sheltered areas like caves, tall grasses, and thick bushes. These provide the tiger cubs with protection from predators.

Like humans, a tiger's first set of teeth are only temporary, hence they are called 'milk teeth.'

These temporary teeth are replaced when they are around two months old when they grow their adult set. Newborn tiger cubs feed on their mother's milk for about three to six months and start trying to eat solid foods when they are two months old.

Young cubs usually stay with their mother till two to three years of age, and during that time, females don't tend to get their heat. Once the tiger cubs leave, mothers start the reproductive cycle again.

Because of this, female Bengal tigers end up giving birth every two to three years depending on the number of cubs born per litter and how long the babies stick with their mother.

What is their conservation status?

Currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN red list, these beautiful creatures hit their lowest in 2011 when their numbers dropped below the 1,500 mark. Thankfully, due to the collective efforts of everyone involved, their numbers are believed to be steadily increasing.

People still continue to hunt them, but this practice is steadily decreasing as well. White Bengal tigers still have a huge threat looming over their heads as they are highly preferred for their fur, canine teeth, and body parts.

Bengal Tiger Fun Facts

What do Bengal tigers look like?

Belonging to the same family as cats, Bengal tigers are orange with black and brown stripes. They are just big cats who are wilder than their relatives and are more aggressive. They also prey on big animals.

How cute are they?

Appearances are often deceptive. With big eyes that are shiny and soft, as well as very cute small ears, Bengal tigers appear to be very cuddly animals, but they are the deadliest. More than just cute, these animals have a majestic look to them and look so regal that they rightly deserve the 'royal' in their given title.

How do they communicate?

Tigers use a variety of vocal tones to communicate over long distances. These tigers use roaring in many different situations, such as taking down large prey, signaling sexual receptivity, and females calling their young. Their roars can be heard from distances of over 1.8 miles (3 km).

How big is a Bengal tiger?

Male tigers are generally 108-120 in (9-10 ft) long, including the tail. On average, male Bengal tigers weigh between 397-569 lb (180-258 kg) which is about the same weight as a pig and half as heavy as a polar bear.

Females are slightly smaller than male Bengal tigers. They’re usually 90-102 in (7.5-8.5 ft) long and only weigh about 220-350 lb (99-158 kg), which is about the same size as a reindeer. Compared to other tiger species, Bengals are slightly larger than most with the exception of the Siberian Tiger.

How fast can a Bengal tiger run?

Panthera tigris is not only the national animal of India, but they are also one of the strongest animals to exist. Even with a body that is half as heavy as a polar bear, these big cats are known to run with speeds reaching up to 37 mph (60 kmph).

Those muscles aren't just for show! Generally, their prey is usually fast on their legs and these big cats have to keep up with them if they want to feed their stomachs.

How much does a Bengal tiger weigh?

Bengal tigers usually weigh up to 717 lb (325 kg), and can reach a head and body length of 130 in (320 cm). Females tend to be around 310 lb (140 kg). Hence we can conclude that the Bengal tigers rival the Siberian tigers in their average weight.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Bengal tiger males are called tigers, while females are called tigress.

What would you call a baby Bengal tiger?

Baby tigers are generally called cubs, and they weigh between 1.7-3.5 lb (0.7-1.5 kg) at birth.

What do they eat?

Bengal tigers are carnivores. These animals with beautiful stripes prefer hunting massive ungulates such as the sambar, chital, gaur, water buffalo, barasingha, nilgai, takin, and serow. Tigers frequently kill wild boar, hog deer, Indian muntjac, grey langur, and other medium-sized prey.

Are they dangerous?

This is one of the greatest myths and misfortunes that has befallen these beautiful big cats. They may appear dangerous, and they can be when threatened, but they tend to avoid human contact for as long as they can.

The only time they hunt or harm humans is when food resources in the forest decrease. Also, as the human population keeps encroaching on their territories, they have nowhere else to go and venture out into human settlements.

Would they make a good pet?

Tigers are the largest among all the big cats. Even lions have nothing on these lovely creatures, as they are huge, fanged and strong predators that eat meat in high quantities.

Bengal tigers need expensive high-security enclosures if kept as a pet. No matter how tame they may seem, tigers are natural-born hunters and wild predators at heart.

You can tame one, but you can't get rid them of the killing instinct that is rooted deep in their genes.

They are one of nature's best creations. Wild tigers travel many kilometers in a day, so if they were to spend their entire lives in an enclosed space, they would not be very happy or satisfied.

The stress on the animal would make them so aggressive that they might end up attacking their owner. The risk of an attack outweighs any benefit that Bengal tigers would bring along, which makes Bengal tigers not suitable as pets.

Did you know...

Bengal tigers have unique patterns and combinations of stripes, and it is a fact that no two tigers will have the same pattern of stripes. Their stripes aren't just limited to their fur; they also run deep into their skin.

Tigers are natural-born killers and know the exact point to attack an animal's body, almost always resulting in an instant kill. The bite force with which they attack can break spines, instantly paralyzing the animal from the neck down.

These are some fun facts about Bengal tigers that everyone would love to know. There are many different amazing facts about Bengal tigers that are fascinating to learn, such as those stated above.

Is the Bengal tiger endangered?

Widely hunted for their canine teeth, pelt, fur, and meat, their life span is often cut short. Tiger conservation authorities are doing everything they can to put a stop to these inhuman activities. White tigers, also called albino Bengal tigers, are at even greater risk due to their exotic snow-white fur and icy blue eyes.

Pet trade

When tiger cubs are born, they greatly resemble house kittens. Because of this, people often forget that they are wild animals and apex predators.

Although they do look adorable when they are small, the Bengal tiger size greatly increases as they grow and as their most natural instincts kick in. This is when people realize how bad it is to have one as a pet. These royal animals almost all the time end up either in circuses, illegal zoos, or the black market.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including chinese hamster, or shrew.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Bengal tiger coloring pages.