Tigers in Ranthambore National Park
For more information on the Royal Bengal Tiger click here
Ranthambore National Park is best known for its population of majestic Royal Bengal Tigers. The tigers of Ranthambore feed on the plentiful herds of deer, including chital (spotted deer), sambhar (large stag), and nilgai (blue bull) and smaller animals like wild boar in the park.
The Tigers of Ranthambore National Park are around 36 in number and their territory extends over the 392 sq Km area of the sanctuary. This wildlife reserve offers the tigers of Ranthambore a safe haven from poachers. Tourists can only shoot the tigers of Ranthambore through the lenses of their cameras now.
Ranthambore was previously the hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Jaipur. Many royal guests came to Ranthambore to shoot tigers when hunting was allowed. The guests include Queen Elizabeth II and her consort Prince Phillip. Tiger hunting was banned by Indian law in 1970. In 1973, Ranthambore National Park was declared a tiger sanctuary under Project Tiger. Project Tiger was a nationwide mission, which sought to preserve tigers, the final link in the food chain, and thus the entire ecosystem, which sustains the tigers of India. Ranthambore is the smallest of the Project Tiger sanctuaries but is also one of the best wildlife sanctuaries to see tigers in the wild. The Royal Bengal Tigers of Ranthambore can be seen in prowling in the forest, stalking their prey, drinking on the edge of the lakes and watering holes and basking in the sun on the rocky outcrops of the ruins of the Ranthambore Fort. You can see tigers in Ranthambore National Park while on jeep safaris within the wildlife reserve.
Male tigers can grow to over 9 feet in length, of which the tail can extend to 3 feet long. The pugmark or paw print of each tiger is unique and is used to identify and count the number of tigers in the sanctuary. The sharp teeth and strong jaw of the tiger is its main weapon. Tigers kill their prey by pouncing on them and biting the throat or neck of the deer. The claws of the tiger are also used to restrain their prey. These sharp claws are retractable. Tigers can see equally well in darkness and daylight and therefore hunt when they are hungry during both day and night.
Tigers usually conceal themselves in the undergrowth of tall grass. Their striped hide provides excellent camouflage and they can creep up near their prey before they pounce on them. Tigers are also good swimmers and often lie in shallow pools of water in the hot summers of Ranthambore. Tigers usually live for 8-15 years. They are usually solitary. Tigers seen in Ranthambore are usually single males or small groups of tigress and her cubs. Cubs usually leave the mother after 2 years, when they can hunt on their own. Tigers in Ranthambore occupy territories, which they mark by spraying trees and rocks with urine and the secretions of a scent gland. A male tigers territory overlaps the territory of several tigresses.
You can view the behavior and habitat of the tigers in Ranthambore National Park on tours of the Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary with India Wildlife Tours.
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