The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN

73
38) Panthera tigris (Mazak, 1968)
Subspecies Panthera tigris tigris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Names
Royal Bengal Tiger (English); Bagh (Nepali)
Species Description
Orange coat with black stripes. The back of the ears
are black with white spot. Long banded tail. White
undersides.
Species Ecology
Royal Bengal Tigers live in humid evergreen forests,
dry open jungle and grassy swamps of the Terai.
The Terai grasslands, where a large percentage of
tigers are distributed, are one of the most critically
threatened tiger habitats in the world. Smith et al.
(1998) conducted a study of tiger distribution and
habitat quality in Nepal and suggested that when
the ratio of good-to-poor habitat drops below 50%,
tigers no longer breed; when it drops below 30%,
tigers no longer occupy an area. The main diet
consists of medium to large ungulates such as Wild
Boar, Chital, Hog Deer, Sambar and will also predate
on livestock.
Age at first reproduction is three years and females
produce a litter of two to five cubs after a gestation
of 103 days. The overall lifespan of a Royal Bengal
Tiger can be up to 20 years.
Conservation Status
Global: Endangered A2bcd+4bcd; C1+2a (i)
National: Endangered A2acd; C2a(i); D
Rationale for assessment: The Royal Bengal Tiger
(Panthera tigris) has been assessed as Endangered
under criteria A, C and D. This species has
experienced significant population declines of at
least 50% over three generations (estimated as 15
years, with the average generation time of Royal
Bengal Tigers being 5 years), mainly due to poaching
for illegal trade in body parts. The population
remains small with 155 mature individuals existing
in few locations and mainly within protected areas.
The populations are heavily fragmented due to
habitat loss and modification from human
encroachment and movement between these areas
is likely to be limited due to a lack of continuous
habitat and because of increased threats outside
of the protected areas, particularly human-wildlife
conflict and retaliatory killings. Royal Bengal Tigers
do occur in neighbouring areas of India, but also as
highly fragmented sub-populations.
Legal Status
CITES Appendix I
Included in the CITES CoP decision 12.5 and 14.5
for the conservation of ABC (Asian Big Cats)
Listed in the National Parks and Wildlife
Conservation Act 2029 (1973) as protected priority
species. This species primarily occurs within
protected areas.
National Population Size
Adults: 155
The current total number of adult tigers in Nepal
is estimated to be 155 (range 124 to 229),
including the most recent census results from
Chitwan National Park (Dec 2009 to March 2010),
which revealed 125 (range 95 to 185) adult tigers
in the whole Chitwan National Park area, including
Churia. Estimates of adult tiger populations in the
other protected areas known to be occupied by
tigers are taken from the December 2008 to March
2009 camera trap census: Bardia National Park, 18
(range 17 to 29); Parsa Wildlife Reserve, 4; Shukla
Phanta Wildlife Reserve, 8 (with a range 8 to14).