One of the most fascinating beasts of the jungle, the Royal Bengal Tigers are the largest carnivore on Indian jungles and proudly hold their reputation as the “King of the Jungle”, which attract thousands of tourists all the year round. These apex predators play a vital role on ecosystem of planet. For their conservation, Project Tiger was launched in April 1973. Along with tigers, those efforts have conserved the whole ecosystem like rivers, forests, and other predators like wild dogs, leopards, etc. and prey species like wild boar, guar, and deer.
Safari experience can easily be enhanced by understanding tiger life cycle. In this blog, you will get insights on every phase of tiger lifespan, starting from birth of tiger cubs to how tigers hunt, tiger adulthood, tiger reproduction, and tiger old age. In this blog, readers will get insights on wild tiger behavior with special emphasis on Bandhavgarh tigers.
Birth
A baby tiger stays around 105 days in tigress’s womb. Tiger cubs are born blind and helpless. Gestation period of majority of carnivores is short for enabling mothers to hunt easily. It is very challenging for a mother to carry 2-5 fully grown babies and hunting for survival. It also increases the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage. It is ironic that largest predator of the jungle is born helpless and blind. Even a jackal can kill them without mothers’ protection. Tigers also have various enemies and odds of survival are very minimal for the cubs unless tigress has experience.
Naturally, tigers are excellent in breeding as they produce multiple cubs in a year. While natural disasters and risks of hunting increase the mortality of cubs, there is also a risk of infanticide by other male tigers in father’s territory.
Hunting
Teenage of Bengal Tiger is another critical phase of its life. They follow their mother too frequently and learn to hunt after one year. They learn stalking, become agile, and learn various hunting skills with mock and play charges with their siblings. They also grow permanent teeth to replace their milk teeth once they grow 18 months old, so that they can kill larger prey and chew solid food. They start moving away from their mother and hunt down larger animals like gaur on their own once they turn 18 months old. After separating from family completely, they go far away from dominant male tigers in their land. At the end, they make their own territory by moving away from their family.
They are very serious and aggressive for their territory. Hence, they actively protect and patrol the same because finding the right territory is itself very challenging. Good territory includes availability of water all the year round, mate to reproduce, good cover to hide, and decent prey base. For finding the right territory, male tigers have to travel a lot in their lifetime. They are highly vulnerable during their quest to be killed by a bigger male tiger or they may also attack local villagers. Finding the right mate is the second priority after finding a suitable territory.
Adulthood
By the age of 2 years, male tigers leave their mother and get their territory in their prime years. By the age of 4, they mate with females. They are solitary creatures. They use different ways to communicate with one another, such as, chemical signals, visual cues, and vocals. Along with informing other tigers on their status, these signals also help them to look for the right partner. When tigresses are in their estrous cycle, they use chemical signal to convey the same. They use their urine and secrete from anal glands and spray the same on trees and rocks where it can stay longer. They don’t want to mark sprays on a surface open to rain and sun. When it comes to mating, they are polygamous creatures who mate only for a few days. Both males and females are used to mate with various partners and they don’t form bonds for longer period.
Old Age
At the age of 10 years, both male and female tigers grow old, become weak, and often exiled from their habitat by younger and stronger ones. Their lifespan usually depends upon environment. In the wild, tigers’ lifespan can be up to 14 years. In captivity, lifespan of tigers can be expanded to around 20 years. Males usually get indulged in more conflicts for territory and females. So, their average lifespan is comparatively shorter than females.
Death
Speaking of death, it is the final stage in tiger’s lifecycle. In natural conditions, tigers can survive up to 14 years but their lifespan can be extended to 20 years in captivity. With age, tigers start losing control of their hunting, they lose their teeth, and even get their joints stiff. Overall, they lose their survivability. Many tigers start to get injured, starve, and even hunted by humans. Eventually, all these factors lead to early death.
To conclude, it is worth noting that tigers live a royal life as kings of the jungle and play a vital role in ecosystem. Their overall lifespan widely depends upon their environment, their habitat, risk factors, and gender.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the average lifespan of tigers in nature?
Naturally, tigers live around 13-15 years, depending upon the situation, environment, and availability of water, food and shelter.
How many cubs can a tigress give birth to?
In a single litter, a tigress can give birth to 3-5 cubs, weighing around 800g to 1.6 kg, as per mother’s health.
What is the mating season for tigers in India?
There is no specific breeding/mating season for tigers. In tropical forests of India, they are born to breed all the year round. However, mating activity peaks in winters, i.e., from November to April.
