The name “Bengal Tiger” refers to the Tigers found in Bengal. Bengal is a state in India. It is situated in the east of India, exactly between the Bay of Bengal and the Himalaya mountain range. So a simple answer to the question “Where Do Bengal Tigers Live” is that they live in Bengal due to which they are called Bengal Tigers. We have done complete research on where are bengal tigers found and what is the natural Bengal Tiger Habitat. Furthermore we have also explained why it is found in these areas and why it prefer such a habitat.
Where Do Bengal Tigers Live
1. Bengal Tigers Country Wise Distribution
- Bengal Tigers currently live in
- Fossils suggests that Bengal Tigers were also found in Sri Lanka about 20,000 years ago.
- A geographical distribution study of Bengal Tigers suggest that historically the distribution limit of the Bengal tigers was in the area between Brahmaputra River basin and Chittagong Hills.
- The Bengal Tigers found in the vast coastal forest (called Sundarbans) of India and Bangladesh are the only tigers that live in mangrove forests.
Bengal Tigers in India
- In India today Bengal Tigers are found in:
- Tiger Conservation Units (TCUs) Manas-Namdapha, which is subtropical and temperate upland forest.
- TCUs of Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary,Ratapani Tiger Reserve,Orissa dry forests, Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Panna National Park, Melghat Tiger Reserve and Kanha-Indravati corridor, which are tropical dry forests.
- TCUs of Kanha-Pench, Kaziranga-Meghalaya, Simlipal and Indravati Tiger Reserves, which are tropical moist deciduous forest and considered the best habitat for bengal tigers and their prey.
- TCUs of Kalakad-Mundathurai,Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar and Bandipur, which are tropical moist evergreen forests.
Bengal Tigers in Bangladesh
- Bengal tigers are found in the Sundarbans forest and the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh.
- The Sundarbans forest is a mangrove habitat.
- Bengal Tigers found in Sundarbans forests are threatened by loss of habitat and prey, and tiger human conflict.
Bengal Tigers in Nepal
- In Nepal Bengal Tigers are found in three different locations of the Terai region which are separated by cultivated and densely populated areas.
- The areas where Bengal Tigers live are called:
- Chitwan National Park
- Parsa National Park
- Bardia National Park
- Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve
Bengal Tigers in Bhutan
- In Bhutan, Bengal Tigers are found in the foothills of subtropical Himalaya in the south and in the temperate forests in the north.
- They are found in between the Mo River and the Kulong River.
2. Where do White Bengal Tigers Live
White Tiger is in actual a Bengal Tiger with a unique gene that makes it color white instead of orange like other bengal tigers. No white tigers are found in the wild today. As it is bengal tiger so it used to live in the same distribution and habitat as that of a Bengal Tiger.
Learn more: White Tiger Facts
Bengal Tiger Habitat
- Bengal Tigers are adaptive animals due to which they live in a wide range of habitat that exists in their geographical range.
- The Bengal Tiger Habitat includes:
- Tropical Forests
- tropical moist evergreen forests
- tropical dry forests
- tropical and subtropical moist deciduous forests
- Dense Grasslands
- Subtropical and temperate upland forests
- Scrub Forests
- Dry deciduous forests
- Mangrove Forests
- Tropical Forests
Bengal Tiger Habitat Facts
- Previously Bengal Tiger habitat also consisted of grasslands, riverine and moist semi-deciduous forests found in the Gangetic and Brahmaputra plains. These plains are now used as agricultural lands.
- Tigers prefer the above habitat because of avaialability of prey
- Abundance of Prey
- Availability of Water
- Helps it to camouflage and easily stalk their prey.
- Bengal Tigers solely rely on the process of stalking their prey to kill it. Stalking means sneaking towards the prey without being detected and then attack suddenly by surprising the prey. This stalking technique is effectively only if the habitat supports the tiger in camouflaging. It is due to this reason Bengal Tigers are found in the dense forests where it is hard to see due to its black and orange stripes.
Learn more: What do Bengal Tigers Eat
Bengal Tiger Habitat Map
Bengal Tiger Habitat Loss
- Bengal Tigers need water, food (prey) and vegetation to survive. The vegetation not only provide for the food of their prey but also help the tigers to stalk their prey.
- When any of the above requirements of its habitat are missing the bengal tiger will not be able to survive.
- With the increase of human population in Indian subcontinent, the urbanisation and development have increased manifold which required more land for settlement and cultivation. This resulted in deforestation and substantial wildlife habitat loss.
- With more humans settlements in the tiger’s habitat, a direct conflict between the humans and tigers arised. This resulted in more tigers being killed by human due to fear of being hunted by it and for the protection of livestock.
- Due to this habitat loss, Tiger population almost got wiped out in the 19th century and made it an endangered specie.