Royal Bengal Tiger

National Symbols define India and its ethnic culture, we see that Republican India has numerous official national symbols, such as a historical document, an emblem, an anthem, a memorial tower as well as several national heroes. The design of the national flag was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947 just before independence.  However, the national animal of India is chosen to be the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Do you know the significance of our national animal tiger? Well! It dates back to our mythology and the Vedic Era, which regraded the national tiger of India as the symbol of power and also the vehicle of diverse Gods like Goddess Durga. India with its diversity in culture is home to around 80% of the population for the national animal of India tiger. We also find the symbol of the Royal Bengal tiger in currency notes and postal stamps. Besides this, this animal species has a lot much significance.

So, this page will help you in fetching the entire information on the national animal of India that includes the reason why the tiger is the national animal of India and the interesting facts about our national animal tiger.

About Bengal Tiger: Which is the National Animal of India?

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From the above text, we understand that the Royal Bengal tiger has paramount importance in our country, which is the national animal of India as well.

A magnificent tiger has the scientific name Panthera tigris Tigris. It is a striped animal with a coat of thick yellow fur and dark stripes. The national animal tiger symbolizes strength, agility, and grace. Besides these qualities, it represents majesty, regal and lethal simultaneously makes it one of the most distinguished carnivores among the Indian fauna (animals of a particular habitat or a region). 

This species comes along with mystic and charming features that make it unique among the wild animals found anywhere in India. These qualities confer it with the title of being the national animal of India. Now, let us discuss its scientific classification:

What is The National Animal Of India?: Scientific Classification

Clearing forests, increasing human population, and a more prominent demand in tiger parts have all reduced the tiger's population. 

Now, let us understand the threats posed to Royal Bengal Tiger (which is our national animal) population:

National Animal Tiger: Threats to the Bengal Tiger

Currently, most tigers are safe and residing in reserves, also the destruction of their habitat isn't so extraordinary a risk. However, as tigers become rare, the value of dead tigers increases. A lone tiger may be valued at a few thousand dollars on the black market when its skin, bones, and organs have been sold for dealers. It is confirmed that the unlawful trade of tiger parts fetches smugglers a few million dollars each year, so it is an intense issue. 

India's National Parks are being mismanaged, and there are insufficient guards to prohibit the poaching of tigers. Additionally,  guards are poorly equipped, which implies that on the off chance that they come across poachers, the poachers are probably going to be obviously better armed than watchmen in any case. This makes life extremely risky for the watchmen and significantly simpler for the poachers. 

Indeed, even people consider poaching their royal culture. The prizes are enormous, and punishments are not extreme enough. Tigers are rarely killed with guns because the bullet hole influences the value of the skin. Rather they are baited with poisoned meat, which implies that the tigers die of agony which often takes several days.

Tiger King and Animal Abuse: Why It is Necessary To Save Them?

Tiger parts can be extensively used for preparing Chinese medicines. It is assumed to help cure issues, like rheumatism, scabies, and boils, and much more, however, there is no medical evidence to support these claims. China and Taiwan are the illegal hotspots of smuggling tiger parts. 

India can make huge profits from tourists visiting India specially to see wild tigers, more than they make by selling tiger parts, but still, people continue to kill them. In the coming time, the population will be null, and India won’t be able to make profits out of these animals in any way, so preserving tigers now is both economically and morally important.

Royal Bengal Tiger: A Need To Safeguard Its Population in India

Do you know that the national animal of India, the Royal Bengal Tiger was adopted as the national animal in April 1973?

However, due to rising threats to the tiger’s population in terms of hunting and poaching, Project Tiger was launched during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure.

The Government Of India aims to stem the sudden decrease in the population of big cats and working hard to increase their counts. In 2018, their population increased from  2,603 to 3,346, however, hunting and poaching are the main threats that need to be stopped, that’s why they launched the Royal Bengal Tiger conservation programme, the Project Tiger in April 1973 under the first directorship of  Kailash Sankhala.

This project also aims at raising their population in preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage forever and maintain the diversity of ecosystems across the distribution of tigers in the country.

Significance of the Royal Bengal Tiger: The National Animal of India

In 1972, the Indian Board for Wildlife adopted the Bengal tiger was adopted as the National Animal in place of the lion. The reason the royal Bengal tiger was selected as a national animal was its presence in larger parts of the country. 

As compared to a lion is found only in one state, the tiger resides in around 16 states of India. 

Royal Bengal Tiger: Top Ten Interesting Facts

• The national animal of India before the tiger was Lion (before 1973).

• Currently, there are around 50 tiger reserves governed by Project Tiger.

• According to the report shared by WWF (World Wildlife Fund), and the Global Tiger Forum in April 2016, the number of tigers had shown an increase for the first time in 100 years worldwide.  Currently, over 2,220 tigers are in India alone. Around 300–500 are estimated in Bangladesh, 220–274 in Nepal, and 103 in Bhutan.

• Tigers are lone wild animals that habitat in diverse habitats, like rain forests, grasslands, savannas, and mangrove swamps. Sadly, 93% of historical tiger lands have vanished chiefly because of increasing human activity. Saving tigers implies saving forests that are essential to the planet’s health.

• A canine animal, a Bengal tiger can grow up to a maximum of 4 inches (longer than that of a lion). These strong species have sheathable claws that help them to climb. They have a strong vision along with exceptional hearing ability.

• Female tiger gives birth to 3-4 cubs and feeds them until they mature at two and a half years of age, however, the development period lasts for three months. Though the lifespan of Bengal Tiger is 8-10 years they can survive for almost 25 years in confinement under special care.

• The Royal Bengal Tiger is a sub-species of the tiger family and is found in the regions of the following countries:

• India, 

• Nepal, 

• Bhutan, Bangladesh, 

• Myanmar, and 

• Several parts of Southern Tibet. 

In India, they reside in large counts in Pench Tiger Reserve. For their charm, beauty, and power, India conferred the Royal Bengal Tiger with the title of ‘National Animal’.

The Royal Bengal tiger is of worldwide importance, and we ought to protect them. Tiger as the National Animal of India represents the nation’s power, strength, elegance, alertness, intelligence, and endurance. It has a great significance in our mythology and folklore that we have already discussed in the introduction part.