The tiger in India has arrived from cold climes of Siberia passing through China and then into our country. The largest concentration was seen in the Sunderbans in Bengal hence the name Bengal Tiger. The Bengal tiger is now found in Nepal, Bhutan and Burma and its scientific classification is panthera tigris tigris with a population of over three thousand animals in these countries. India has a population of approximately 3000 tigers and the number is growing year on year.

Unlike the lion which is also found in India, the tiger is a solitary animal, and male and female come together during mating and then seperate. They do raise a family together but the male keeps away from the family busy protecting the area. The intruding males that have not sired the cubs will kill them. Hence the breeding males role is crucial.

They family has been observed together partaking a meal or just being cozy on rare occasion. The predators are territorial and the dominant male rules over the territory which is more of a spacing mechanism. The territory is marked using scent which is sprayed on selected spots through urine, feces and glands. The stool also carries these chemicals called pheromones which stay at one place for long time. When another big cat smells the scent it will draw it to the roof of the mouth cavity where a Jacobson's Organ analyses it. This informs the recipient about the sex of the animal and whether a female is in oestrus or not.

The matings are facilitated by lot of vocalization and scent marking in the vast forest which brings the couple together. They are together for three days with frequent copulation over hundred times. The frequency is necessary for conception to occur. The gestation period is of three months and four cubs on the average are born blind. They remain without sight for two weeks and hence stay at one place safely hidden. This gives the mother enough time to hunt and nourish herself. The cubs are fed on mother's milk for three months after which they start on meat. This is a fast growing period and they accumulate protein and fat while growing bigger. They are hidden most of the time but do come out with the mother in order to learn survival in the dense jungle. This goes for a long time and then they have to learn to kill. Hence their first encounter with the prey is inform of injured fawn of a wild boar piglets brought by the tigress. But all the time they are watching their mother making kills which is an important learning mechanism.

When they are nearing two years they start hunting themselves with lot of awkwardness initially. They hunt in groups and rarely succeed. But as they grow in the mother's company they began to perfect their hunts. Just over two years it is time for them to leave their mother. So they move away in adjoining territories but the female cubs live closer to their mother. Initially they are grouped together but eventually separate with male cubs seeking entirely new territories. This is the most challenging time for young male tigers whence chances of coming across a rival dominant male are maximum. There is lot of fatalities during this process as fights could be vicious.

In India the census includes only adult tigers since the future of the cubs is uncertain to a great degree. The female cubs survive large and well mostly but the greatest difficulties are faced by male cubs or young adults. The females are able to mate after two and half years while male generally mate after three years.

In India the tiger conservation initiative aims at securing the breeding grounds. It also aims to provide protection to the big cats and prevent poaching. Some of the reserves have proven to be highly successful conservation units in the country. They are Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha, Ranthambhore, Corbett and Tadoba National Parks.