Bengal+Tiger+-+Megan+P.

Bengal tigers live in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Myanmar, and Bhutan. Their habitat varies, they live in grasslands, subtropical and tropical rain forests, scrub forests, wet and dry deciduous forests, and mangroves. They are strictly carnivores eating only meat. They feed on large mammals such as buffalo,deer, and wild boars. They are at the top of the food chain and hunt nocturnally and solitary. They hunt between twilight and dawn. They kill their prey by ambushing it, if their prey tries to escape them in the water they are very strong swimmers and can kill their prey in water as well as land. The Bengal tigers mating period is between November and April. Their gestation period is between 100-112 days and they give birth to 2-3 blind and helpless cubs. The first 18 months the cubs rely completely on their mother for all their needs. The cubs fully reach maturity and are able to go and live on their own at age 4.

The threats to the Bengal tiger are poaching and deforestation. They kill tigers and sell their fur an other parts in the black market. Their habitat is being destroyed by farmers and a new demand for palm oil used in various foods. The IUCN status for the Bengal tiger is endangered. Many organizations are working to enforce anti poaching laws and to preserve the tigers natural habitat. There are only about 2,000 wild Bengal tigers left in the world. India is helping Bengal tigers with 37 conservation areas for the tigers. The International Tiger Coalition has brought together more than 40 organizations to end illegal trade of these endangered tigers. You can help the Bengal tiger too by donating to anti poaching patrols. You can also adopt a tiger through WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and give a certain amount of money to help a specific tiger. You can also spread the word and tell people that they can help save endangered species by donating even a little money can help make a difference for the lives of the remaining Bengal tigers.



__**Bibliography**__

__**World Wildlife Fund-**__ www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger __**Endangered Animal List-**__ www.ecomil.com __**National Geographic-**__ www.animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bengal-tiger/ __**Rainforest Animals-**__ www.rainforestanimals.net/rainforestanimal/bengaltiger.html __**Cougar Mountain Zoo-**__ www.cougarmountainzoo.org/The animals/tigerfact.aspxmedia type="custom" key="23048614"