The tigress does not breed again until her cubs are independent. Such associations, however, do not last long. Though cub infanticide (mainly by males) is known, it is not very unusual to find a male with a tigress and cubs, even sharing a kill. Male cubs grow more quickly than females and tend to leave their mother earlier. The cubs remain with the mother until about the second year, when they are nearly adult and are able to kill prey for themselves. Weaker cubs get less food because of the aggressiveness of their stronger siblings as food is less frequently made available.
During this time the offspring must endure long periods of absence by the mother while she is away hunting. There is thus a long period of weaning, tutelage, and training during which cub mortality is high, especially if food is scarce. They are born blind, and, even when their eyes open, opacity prevents clear vision for six to eight weeks. The normal litter size is two to four, though up to seven cubs have been recorded. There is no fixed breeding season, though the preponderance of mating appears to occur in winter, with striped cubs being born after a gestation period of more than three months. The readiness of a tigress to mate is announced through vocalization and scent production. With the reduction in the number of tigers, the occurrence of man-eating tigers has become rare except in the Sundarbans, the northeast Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and neighbouring Nepal in and around Royal Chitwan National Park.įemale Bengal tiger and her cubs © PhotocechCZ/ A number of reasons account for this-disability caused by age or injury, paucity of prey, acquisition of the habit from the mother, or defense of cubs or kill. No trait of the tiger has fascinated humans more than man eating. As the top predator throughout its range, the tiger plays a major role in controlling not only its prey population but that of other predators such as the leopard, dhole (Asiatic wild dog), and clouded leopard. For this reason, tigers raised in captivity would not fare well if released into the wild. Skill in killing and obtaining prey is only partly instinctive, maternal training being essential for proficiency. Tigers are not averse to commandeering a kill from other tigers or leopards, and they sometimes eat carrion. After making a kill and consuming what it can, it makes a deliberate attempt to hide the carcass from vultures and other scavengers so that another meal can be obtained. Cattle are occasionally taken from human habitations, and some tigers can thrive on domestic livestock. Healthy large mammals are generally avoided, although there have been recorded instances of the tiger’s having attacked elephants and adult water buffalo. A special liking for porcupines, despite the danger of injury from their quills, is an exception. The tiger usually hunts by night and preys on a variety of animals, but it prefers fairly large prey such as deer ( sambar, chital, and swamp deer) and wild pigs. See a herd of Sika deers feeding on fresh kelps and the Siberian tiger on a deer in the forest of eastern Russia Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz See all videos for this article
#Tiger vs lion in hindi how to
COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.From tech to household and wellness products. Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.
Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.