9 Bengal Tiger Facts For Kids

1. The Bengal Tiger is a majestic animal. They are the biggest of the large cats. They can weigh up to 500 pounds and have tails that are three feet or longer. Unlike other big cats the Bengal Tiger is a solitary animal.

2. They do not travel in packs. They are very territorial and spray their scent to mark their territory and do not mingle with other cats. They are fierce fighters and somewhat elusive. They are endangered animals because they are illegally hunted for their skin and in some Asian medicines their body parts are considered very valuable.

3. It is estimated that there are only 1200 Bengal Tigers left in the wild. They are found in India and are sometimes referred to as Indian Cats.

4. They can be found in many areas of India but since their numbers are relatively low they are not spotted often. They typically stay within a 77 square mile radius. Females keep their range even smaller. They require prey, fresh water and areas to sun and shade.

5. They can eat up to 60 pounds of meat in one feeding. They hunt wild boar, water buffalo, sloths, monkeys and other animals. As they age or if they are injured they will turn to domestic animals for their food source.

6. The rate of tiger attacks is up in India largely because of the human encroachment into their natural habitat. Typically if they can avoid humans they will but if a human should stumble into their habitat they will attack a human.

7. They are nocturnal animals which means that they are most active at night. They hunt using their stripes as camouflage. They lay and wait until the prey comes to them than they use their massive size to knock he prey to the ground and attack.

8. They are not very quick cats because of their size but they make up for their lack of speed with their fierceness. They are ferocious opponents that normally do not fail!

9. Tigers have 1-3 cubs which they rear for about 18 months, the female has to keep the males away or they will eat the cubs!

10. They have no natural predators other than man. Man has been the single largest threat to this species between illegal hunting and encroachment on their habitat. Conservation efforts has helped to reduce the illegal hunting but we still have a long way to go before these cats will be able to recover the population numbers.