Tiger is the National Animal of India and is an intense gist of Indian wildlife. India is an abode to 60% of worlds total tiger population. Too much of human cruelty on these virtuous mammals could be visualized during the 1950s and early 1960s, it was recorded that more than 3,000 tigers killed due to the hunting and poaching, threatening the very existence of this most captivating animal. It seemed necessarily to take measures to preserve these creatures, therefore a Project Tiger was instituted on April 1, 1973 on the basis of the approbation of a special unit of the Indian Board for Wildlife. With the accomplishment of Project Tiger many national parks and wild life sanctuaries were set up, Jim Corbett National Park is the most successful example having the supreme consistency of tiger population in India.

The Habitat of Indian Tiger
These splendid animals usually find their homes in the dense forest, mangrove marshland, and Savannah climate and on the foothills of Himalayan region with tender green grassland. The aboriginal territory of Indian Tigers or the Royal Bengal Tiger were the dense jungles of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Burma that is the perfect dwelling place for this magnificent beast. The most copious in populations are the Bengal Tigers comparing with any other of tiger subspecies.

Tigers are also the biggest living member of the cat family and the fastest running mammal on the land. In India particularly these animals are found in the torrid forests, thick shrubs, swampy lands and dense woods of Jim Corbett, Sunderbans, Ranthambore, Sariska and Periyar. These majestic beast is renowned by USFWS as endangered species and are also protected regenerated by CITES. Due to the continuos efforts taken by the government and world organizations there is a magnificent rise in the population of these rare species. There are now 3000 Royal Bengal Tigers in the subcontinent.

The Great Hunt
In the wild of Sunderbas delta one could easily cherish the sight of these magnificent beast in its reddish orange shade with narrow black, gray or brown vertical stripes, trapping and then pouncing upon its prey. Mostly at dusk and during the daytime these royal animals comes out for hunt as their stripe support them hide in the shade of tall grasses.
This powerful hunter with sharp teeth, strong jaws and a vigorous physic is never out for hunting unless it is restless by throbbing appetite. But when it is hungry there is no stoppage, this gigantic animal will stalk and grab any of small or medium sized herbivore that comes its way. Their powerful claws and jaws can tear the body of buffaloes and zebras too.

Appetite of great Indian Tiger
The patsy of a tiger can be a deer, an antelope or a pig and buffalo. Sometimes it also feed on birds, lizards, turtles, fishes, frogs and crabs. They generally hunt at dusk and can eat up to 40kgs of meat in a single meal. Tigers are the lovers of a solitary life and normally are not found in-groups and hunt on their own without any assistance. They are adroit with excellent swimming zest but rarely are traced climbing the trees. Suderbans is home to around 270 tigers.

The Royal Appearance
These majestic tigers are normally about 8 to 9 feet in length, some even grow even up to a length of 10 feet. The female tigers gets sexual maturity at the age of 3 to 4 years while the males mature when they are 4 to 5 years old. After the gestation period the female tiger can give birth up to 4 cubs at a time, the period last for 98 to 110 days. It is been observed that in the protected surroundings these elusive beast survive for as long as 18 years whereas in the open jungles they live up to the age of 15 years.

Cherished Moments
It is surely delightful to trap the tiger in its diverse shades of disposition sometimes cooling off in the shade of trees or enjoying in blue lakes or stalking and ready to pounce upon its prey.