| The Bengal Tiger | | | | They are carnivores, like cats in general. They will |
| The Bengal Tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, is | | | | kill and eat almost any animal they can catch and |
| sometime called the Royal Bengal Tiger. The Tiger | | | | kill. This means most of the animals of India and |
| is the national animal of India. Although I and many | | | | the other places it lives. |
| people tend to think of it as an Indian animal, it is | | | | Indian Elephants are rather large for even this |
| also found in Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The | | | | huge cat to tackle, but they do eat some young |
| Bengal Tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh. | | | | ones. |
| The Siberian subspecies is traditionally considered | | | | Catching an Elephant |
| to be the biggest subspecies, but some studies | | | | This general description is based on Lieutenant |
| suggest that the Bengal one is as big or even | | | | Colonel Williams's Book Elephant Bill. He obviously |
| slightly bigger. | | | | had not actually witnessed an attack like this, but |
| Colours | | | | had put together the scenario from his knowledge |
| Apart from the usual T colour, some Bengal | | | | of Elephants and Tigers, including treating |
| Tigers have a lot more white. These are referred | | | | Elephants after an attack. |
| to as White Tigers. These are often on display in | | | | When the Pregnant Elephant is close to giving |
| zoos and parks. This characteristic is being bred | | | | birth, she goes into the jungle with another female |
| for in some of these parks. | | | | Elephant, which is sometimes referred to as an |
| There have been many reports of black oves. In | | | | Auntie. |
| some cases these were black Leopards. | | | | If a Tiger wants to eat the baby, he will charge |
| However, there seems little doubt that partially | | | | the mother and try to drive her off. The Auntie |
| black tigers do exist. The existence of totally | | | | now has to fight off the predator by herself, |
| black Tigers is much more doubtful. | | | | knowing that the mother will be back very soon. |
| Endangered | | | | It is probable that the Auntie usually succeeds and |
| The UICN Red List for 2008 lists the status of | | | | the Tiger will go off to find smaller prey. |
| this animal as endangered, with probably less than | | | | Another animal generally too big for them to |
| 2500 living in the wild. This is actually more than | | | | tackle is the Rhinoceros. Tigers did occasionally |
| the likely number of any of the other subspecies. | | | | eat baby Rhinos. Unfortunately, Rhinos are |
| Evolution | | | | practically extinct in Asia. |
| The ancestors of the Bengal Tiger arrived in its | | | | Man Eating |
| present range about 12,000 years ago. The stem | | | | In most of its range, the Bengal Tiger rarely eats |
| subspecies was probably either the South China | | | | Humans, but in one area, the Sundarbans, this |
| or the indochinese subspecies. | | | | habit is a serious problem. |
| Prey | | | | |