The Royal Bengal Tiger

The Royal Bengal Tiger

The majestic tabby of the wild, which one can cite as, the epitome of bravery and might, is none other than India's pride, the Royal Bengal Tiger. Scientifically named Panthera tigris tigris, these striped beasts of the wild are chiefly native to India, and also to Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Weighing up to 375 kg and an average head-and-body length of 320 cm, these beasts of prey are a real feast to the eyes for anyone who gets to chance upon a glimpse of them.
It would come as a fact that these reticent hunters seldom roar, and have the expertise in striking their prey with the slightest noise and with trivial chances of striking twice. Also, studies have proved that the stripes on every black-orange big cat are unique and identifying, like the fingerprints of the human palm.
Another interesting fact is that the carnivorous tongue of the stunning beast is so powerful that just a lick can penetrate the flesh up to the bone. They have a lifespan of 10-15 years in the wild outlived by about 25 years in captivity of the zoo. Yet, the big cats belong to their jungles and not to our cages.

They are killing wizards, but sadly, are being killed by pernicious poachers, and the purchasers for their skins, teeth, fat, claws, and literally every body part which contains herbal and medicinal benefits in ancient ethnic medications, especially in the Chinese realms. One of the formidable enemies of the tiger populace was poacher Sansar Chand who gained notoriety by smuggling more than 470 tiger skins and other wildlife products to just four clients in Tibet and Nepal in a span of forty years, astonishingly, without being caught.
To curb the perils to the populace of the RBTs, Project Tiger was started by the government of India, administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority in the various scenic sanctuaries across the subcontinent. Indeed, lucky are the ones who get to closely work for these aristocratic quadrupeds, aiding to erase the "endangered" tag from their endangered population figures.
The first place one would remember for the RBTs would be the Sunderban National Park in West Bengal, but they are also majorly found in Corbett Tiger Reserve Uttaranchal, Kanha National Park Madhya Pradesh, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve Rajasthan, and Manas Tiger Reserve Assam, offering a variety of destinations to lay eyes on the breath-taking beauty of the solitude seeking royals of the Indian jungles.
The grandeur of the Tiger can also be rejoiced by tuning in with the popular cultures, artworks, and fascinating stories that surround them.
Indian mythology portrays the Tiger as the mount of Goddess Durga the female manifestation of war and the victory of good over evil. In God's Own Country, Lord Ayyapan is depicted to ride a tigress along with her cubs. The Warli tribe of Maharastra are famous for their tiger paintings and statues which they worship with flowers and fruits.
Possibly the first civilizations, the Harappa and the Mohenjo Daro carried the symbols of the big cat, in the form of coins and amulets.
In Buddhism, the tiger is used to symbolize anger, one of the merits one must not possess.
In the Chinese Zodiac, it is the third animal of the twelve and in certain Chinese martial arts, the tiger is shown to rival the dragon.
The poet William Blake wrote the famous lines in 1974, "Tiger tiger burning bright, In the forests of the night", popularizing the tiger further in art, poetry, and literature.
The famous painting 'Tiger in a Tropical Storm' by Henri Rosseau is an oil-on-canvas painting seated in the National Gallery, London.
Even in the present times, the tiger has been depicted in various ways such as the character Hobbes in the famous comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, Sher Khan from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, the mystic Richard Parker from the movie 'Life of Pi' and not to forget the energetic 'Tigger' of AA Milnes' Winnie the Pooh.
The tiger has also occupied its prerogative in the famous Jataka Tales and other prominent Indian and Chinese folklore.
So the next time you visit a bookstore, do pick up an enthralling tiger tale and unravel the enigma of pride of the jungles.

  To not miss one of the most thrilling feels of admiring a Royal Bengal Tiger in its niche, spice up
your travel plans with a visit to the tiger sanctuaries in India. Just the sight of the majestic tiger will be absolutely priceless and will surely make you realize a sense of pride and self-importance, once again justifying, that mother nature and her creations impart the best lessons of life.