About the Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is India's national animal and the world's most numerous tiger subspecies, yet it remains endangered with roughly 3,700 individuals surviving — more than 70% of them in India. Project Tiger, launched in 1973 across nine reserves, has grown into the world's most successful big-cat conservation programme, quadrupling the Indian tiger population over five decades. Today the tiger is the defining symbol of India's national parks and the reason most visitors make the journey.
Bengal tigers are solitary and territorial predators that patrol ranges of 20 to 100 square kilometres, hunting primarily at dawn and dusk. They are powerful swimmers — in the Sundarbans, tigers routinely swim several kilometres between mangrove islands, a behaviour unique to this population worldwide. Their characteristic orange coat with black stripes acts as perfect camouflage in dappled forest light, making them extraordinary masters of concealment despite their great size.
- Book multiple safaris — tiger sightings are never guaranteed. Early morning drives in April–May, when tigers frequent waterholes, offer the best odds.
- Listen for alarm calls: sambar deer give a loud bark, chitals whistle shrilly. Either sound often means a tiger is nearby.
- Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh have the most habituated tigers; Corbett and Sundarbans require more patience but offer wilder, more memorable encounters.