The Royal Bengal Tiger

Tiger is the largest living member of the cat family. It has a graceful built. The reddish yellow coat with black stripes gives it a royal look. Ventrally it is white. Its ears are black on the outside and each of them has a prominent white spot on it.

The scientific name of tiger is 'Panthera tigris'. The origin of the cat family from what we know today is Siberia. From there, they migrated down south as the climate became colder. Tigers are found in Siberia, Manchuria and the Asian continent. In Asia, India and Malaysia are the two prominent countries where tigers live. The Indian tigers, the Royal Bengal tigers are the most graceful animals found in Sundarban in Bengal.

In India we had over forty thousand tigers in the beginning of the 20th century. Today it is very sad to note that the statistics is much lower. The reasons for tiger becoming an endangered species are uncontrolled felling of trees resulting in the shrinkage of the habitat of the tiger, decrease of preys, increase of poaching for its beautiful skin. The treat of extinction forced the government of India to initiate the 'Project Tiger' on the first of April 1973 when the tiger population was less than 2000. Initially nine tiger reserves were selected. This number has now increased.

The tiger lives in varied habitats open jungles, humid evergreen forests and mango grove swamps. Its diet consists mainly of deer, antelopes, gaurs and wild pigs. Sometimes it also captures birds, lizards, turtles, fishes, frogs and crabs. Tigers hunt on their own and usually lead a solitary existence, each in its own territory. They are endowed with good swimming power but seldom climb trees.

Tigers are rapidly decreasing in the world. In the last millenium, three sub-species of tigers already lost their existence while five other species are endangered. The first lot of the three sub-species comprised of panthera tigris virgata, panthera tigris balica and panthera tigris sondica.

The endangered species are Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris attaica), Chinese Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis), Indonesian Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) and Indo-Chinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti). To save these tigers, a movement called Save Tiger has been working since 1972.

Total number of tigers in India in 1972 was 1800 which has since then increased to 3500-4000. Efforts of the Government, NGOs and the people have brought about this change. The Wildlife Conservation Act was passed in 1972. But incidents of poaching is still heard. We have sixteen project tiger field areas in our country. They are Corbet National Park, Kanha National Park, Indravati National Park, Sarinka National Park, Melghat Sanctuary, Palamou Tiger Reserve, North Simlipal National Park, Buxa Sanctuary, Sunderbans National Park, Manas Sanctuary, Namdapha National Park, Nagarjun Sagar Shvishailam Sanctuary, Bandipur National Park.

Breeding of tigers are done very carefully in many zoological gardens. Recently a cub was born in the calcutta zoo. These newborns are genetically different due to genetic recombination. This feature is known as genetic variation. It is an important component for a living being to adopt itself in the nature. This genetic variations help them to fight against any odds.

The Great Indian Rhinoceros

The biblical unicorn may have been a wild ox, but the great Indian rhinoceros is similar to a unicorn: it has a single horn, usually about 53 cm long, and it is very hard to find, being among the rarest mammals in the world today.

The Rhino's horn is not a true horn, but consists of compressed hair, and the animal prefers to defend itself with its canine teeth with which it can make horrible gashes. Rhinos became extinct in America long ago, and are becoming much scarcer in other parts of the world, but there are still five species remaining: two in Africa and three in Asia. They are the largest land mammals after the elephant and weigh from 1,800 to 3,600 kg.

The Indian rhino has well-developed incisor teeth and two long canine teeth in its lower jaw. It is studded with knob-like tubercles and is unique in having huge folds of skin at its joints and great rolls at the neck. Together with the large, horny plates covering its body, the beast appears to be armour plated.

Threatened by continued loss of habitat and poaching, conservation efforts are essential to ensure this creature's survival. Conservation objectives include: the maintenance of a wild population of at least 2,000 rhinos in at least six major sanctuaries in the current range of the species; translocation of animals to create new sanctuaries and populations; continued anti-poaching efforts; maintenance of a captive population capable of long-term viability to guard against any unforeseen extinction of the wild population; and reduction in the demand for rhino products.

The armour-like hide is thick and tough with many folds, and large, raised bumps on the neck, shoulders and flanks - a characteristic which differentiates it from the closely related Javan rhinoceros. The other differential feature is the neck fold: in the great Indian rhinoceros it does not continue across the back. The skin is usually brownish, with the interior of the folds slightly pink, but, due to mud wallowing, the coloration varies with the region's soil colour. There is little hair on the hide except on the edges of the ears, the eyelashes, and the tuft on the tail. The triangular upper lip is prehensile. There is one horn on the nose, though it is usually short and dull, worn down by use.

Ecology and Behaviour The great Indian rhinoceros is active throughout the day, although the middle of the day is spent wallowing and resting in the shade. Wallowing takes place in lakes, rivers, ponds, and puddles, and is especially frequent in the hot seasons. This activity is believed to be important with thermoregulation and the control of flies. Drinking occurs almost every day, and mineral licks are visited regularly. Population densities vary from 0.4-4.85 animals per square kilometre depending on the habitat. Only the strongest males breed, and they have home ranges between 2-8 square kilometres in size. These home ranges are not true territories, and overlap each other. When disturbed, these rhinos generally flee, though they have been reported attacking, which they do with their head down. In this fashion, protective mothers kill several people each year in India. More than 10 distinct vocalizations have been recorded, including a honk, bleat, trumpet, and roar. Smell is important in communication, with urine, feces, and glandular secretions carrying the messages.

The Indian Elephant

The Asian elephant is one of three species in the order Proboscidea, the others being the Savanna elephant and the Forest elephant.

The Indian elephant ( Elephas maximus indicus) is a one of three subspecies or races of the Asian elephant ''Elephas maximus". The other two subspecies of the Asian elephant are E. m. sumatranus on Sumatra and E. m. maximus on Sri Lanka. The Indian elephant for example, is larger, has longer front legs and a thinner body than the Asian elephant found in Thailand.

Through adaptive radiation, elephants until the Pleistocene Era (2 million years ago) had spread throughout the world except for Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica. Their sheer size was a factor in allowing this wide radiation and they could be found in a wide variety of habitats from desert to high mountain forest areas. 

Elephants in general are the largest existing land mammals and they have the biggest brains in the animal kingdom (weighing 5 kg or 11 lbs).

In general, the Asian elephant weighs between 3-5 tons (6,615-11,025lb); however the smaller Sumatran subspecies weight range begins at 2 tons (4,000lb). By contrast, the African elephant weighs between 4-7 tons (8,820-15,435lb). An Asian elephant's height at the shoulder is between 6.6-11.5ft (2-3.5m). By contrast the African elephant stands 9.8-13.1ft (3-4m).

The Asian elephant has been captured, tamed and worked by people for more than 4,000 years; it stirs the human imagination like no other animal. They can easily move through swamps or climb mountainous terrain that is too difficult for a horse. Their hearts beat 28 times a minute.

The Trunk : Elephants are endowed with versatile trunks, which have over 100,000 muscles units that make it extremely dexterous. This incredible dexterity enables an elephant to pick up very small items and use their trunks for a wide variety of functions. The trunk has no bones or cartilage except for a tiny bit of cartilage at the tip of the trunk which separates the nostrils; each nostril is lined with a membrane. The septum is a partition dividing the two nostril cavities and it is composed of tiny muscle units. There is a single “finger” at the tip of the Asian elephant's trunk whereas the African elephant has two “fingers”. Elephants do not use their trunks like a straw to drink through — they suck water into the trunk and squirt it into their mouths. Females are usually smaller than males and can be easily distinguished by the two mammary glands located on the chest.

Hearing and Sight : One of the main visible distinctions between the Asian and African elephant is the size of their ears. The Asian elephant's ears do not exceed the height of the neck whereas the African elephants do. All elephants have acute hearing far superior to humans and their large ears act amplifiers. There is a “knuckle” found at the back of the ear, which is one of the softest parts of their bodies; mahouts, using their feet will steer or give commands to the animal. Elephants' communication is rich in infrasound (ranging below what humans can hear) with sound traveling over many kilometers. These long distance infrasonic calls are used in times of stress, excitement, during separation and to relay sexual information. Elephants have have small eyes and poor eyesight so they can only see clearly up to about 30-40 feet (10m). Their sight tends to improve when they are in shaded areas. and have no canine teeth.

Teeth: Elephants do not have canine teeth but they have four high crowned molars with a complex structure for grinding their food. These teeth do not succeed one another vertically in the usual mammalian fashion, but come in successively from behind, one tooth at a time. Think of them like a conveyor belt moving slowly from back to front. When the foremost tooth is so worn down and is of no further use, it is pushed out, mostly in pieces and replaced at the rear by a new one. An elephant grows only six complete sets of these molars during its lifetime; the final set finishes growing in at about the age of 40. This method of replacing teeth prolongs their dentition until that age. Many elephants do reach the age of 60, but few elephants reach the age of 70 because the teeth will be worn down and decayed to the point of them not being able to eat any more resulting in death by slow starvation. A baby elephant will have two or three cheek teeth in each jaw quadrant. As it gets older, new and successively bigger teeth will form in back of these, slowly pushing them forward.

The tusks, which never stop growing, are in fact teeth (elongated upper incisors) and are classified as ivory. They are modified incisors made up mostly of dentine (a bone like tissue found in many animals). The only other animal to have ivory teeth is the walrus. Not all th e male Asian elephants have tusks; the tendency is genetically determined. For example in Sri Lanka only 7% of the males are tuskers whereas in Southern India up to 90% will have tusks. These regional variations may have something to do with past and present hunting pressure. In the females they are either absent or rudimentary. M ales are sometimes found with tusks up to 1.8m in length; however they are usually much shorter because they have been worn down from work, foraging, digging or broken from fighting. It is very rare to find a male with evenly long tusks.

The skin is about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick, however it is paper-thin on the insides of the ears, around the mouth and the anus. The skin contains no sweat glands and is soft to the touch. Skin care is an important part of an elephant's lifestyle. Wallowing plays an integral role in elephant society; it also serves as a way to protect the skin from insect bites, sunburn and moisture loss. A bath is important to both captive and wild elephants. It not only cleans them, but is also relaxing to them. Working elephants have to rely on their mahouts to give them daily baths. Rubbing against trees and bathing are equally important in maintaining healthy skin. The freckled look of the Asian elephant is a result of lack of pigment. Baby Asian elephants have brownish red hair that covers their bodies which lessens with age; however, they retain more hair than the African elephant, even as adults. Their brain weighs about 5 kg or 11 lbs.

The latest estimate (June 2003) of the Asian elephant population is below 30,000. The African species is estimated at approximately 500,000.

India 's elephant population is estimated between 10,000 and 15,000, the largest in Asia. About half of these are found in the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghaiaya located in far northeastern India.

Indian Leopard

These cats have an elongate and muscular body. Their paws are broad and their ears are short. In tropical regions their coats tend to be shorter and sleeker, whereas in colder climates their fur is longer and denser. The coloration varies from the color of straw to grayish to even chesnut. The backs of the ears are black except for a spot either located centrally or near the tips. These appear to other animals as eyes. The throat, chest, belly, and the insides of the limbs are white. The rest of the head, throat, chest, and limbs all have small black spots. The belly has larger black spots, almost like blotches. Region and habitat have an affect on the appearance of P. pardus.

In Africa, leopards living in hilly areas tend to be larger than those living in lowlands. There is a tendency to melanism (black coloration) in this species. This characteristic is more frequent in densely forested areas where being darker is probably beneficial in remaining unseen as compared to open areas. Whether spotted or black, leopards' coloration is extremely effective. Scientists have been unable to spot these cats just a few yards away even knowing that they were present. Leopards have been recorded as long as 2.92 meters but that is extreme, 1.37-1.67 is more common.

Pantera pardus could at one time be found from British Isles to Japan and throughout most of Asia. Today they can still be found in Africa, except for the true deserts of Sahara and Kalahari, and some parts of Asia such as Sri Lanka. Leopards are more common in Eastern and Central Africa. Conversely, they are rare in Western and Northern Africa and most of Asia (Nowak, 1997; Sanderson, 1972).

Leopards are famous for their ability to go undetected. They may live practically among humans and still be tough to spot. They are graceful and stealthy. Amongst the big cats they are probably the most accomplished stalkers. They are good, agile climbers and can descend from a tree headfirst. Along with climbing, they are strong swimmers but not as fond of water as tigers; for example, leopards will not lay in water. They are mainly nocturnal but can be seen at any time of day and will even hunt during daytime on overcast days.

In regions where they are hunted, nocturnal behaviour is more common. These cats are solitary, avoiding one another. However, 3 or 4 are sometimes seen together. Hearing and eyesight are the strongest of these cats' senses and are extremely acute. Olfaction is relied upon as well, but not for hunting. When making a threat, leopards stretch their backs, depress their rib cages between their shoulder blades so they stick out, and lower their heads (similar to domestic cats). During the day they may lie in bush, on rocks, or in a tree with their tails hanging below the treetops and giving them away.

Asiatic Lion

The Asiatic lion, in India, is now found in only one pocket located in the Gir National Park of the state of Gujarat. There have been efforts made to relocate a small number of these lions to another park to try and ensure better survival chances of this majestic animal. However, these plans are yet to be put into action.

The Asiatic Lion grows to a height of approximately 90cm , with their length ranging from 200 - 280cm. Their long and hard tails grow to an additional length of 60 - 90cm. Lions can weigh in at between 200 - 275kgs . Their main prey species consist of Nilgai, Chital, Sambhar, Goats, Buffaloes and occasionally also other smaller animals. The lions of Gir have made it a habit of killing livestock and sometimes even camels.

Their breeding season is timed along with the onset of winter in the months of October and November . Their gestation period is 3 and a half months , with litters ranging between 3 - 4 in number. The lionesses breed on an average of every two years and are ready to have their first lot of babies around the age of 30 - 36 months. They have a life expectancy ranging between 20 - 30 years.

Just like their African cousins, the Asiatic males too have handsome manes , which are absent in the females . The Asiatic lions tend to have smaller manes than their African cousins. The Asiatic lions however have a bushier overall coat and also have longer tufts of hair at the end of the tail and on the elbow joints . The colouration of the manes vary from lion to lion. The only rare ones are the very dark manes, which according to a research done in Africa are the ones prefered by lionesses!

Lions mostly live in large prides . These prides can sometimes have upto 3 adult males but it is always one that is the dominant leader . The males are known for their laziness and lordship like behaviour. The females do all the hunting , with the males only rarely joining in when the prey is a very large animal like an aggressive buffalo. However, once the kill is made, the males always get the first go at the meal .

The bonding among a family of lions is extremely strong with aunts and sisters helping in the bringing up of all young. Females stay with the pride all through life, whereas the males tend to set out on their own around the age of three. They mostly lead solitary lives then onwards but have been known to also roam territories in pairs and trios. These bachelors are known to be the main threats to the dominant males leading their prides. They are also known to kill cubs to try and get the females into estrus once again . These bachelors are mostly brothers that left a pride together but individual bachelors have been known to team up with other individuals.

Lions, unlike the tiger, hunt in groups. They collectively stalk their prey and have been commonly seen applying strategies that would do any army commander proud. Very often some of the females pinpoint a particular individual prey and chase it in the direction of other lionesses waiting in ambush. The prey is mostly killed by a quick, powerful bite to the spine or with the help of a classic choke grip, with the strong jaws of the lion cutting off air supply to the lungs.

Although history shows the coexistence of lions and tigers, there is no prevalent example of this anywhere in the world at present. Lions do coexist even in the current era with leopards and cheetahs. However, they are extremely territorial and attempt to kill these leopards and cheetahs whenever their paths happen to cross. If the attempt at relocating lions to other parts of India is finally undertaken, it will also answer the question of whether it is possible for two such ferociously territorial and powerful large cats to inhabit the same jungle.

The Asiatic Lion has been declared the most endangered large cat species in the world. Their numbers ranging between 250 - 300, all concentrated in the same area, they are under the constant threat of being wiped out by some deadly epidemic. It is hoped by all conservationists that the governing authorities settle their differences of opinion on the best possible plan and take some action before it's too late to save one of the most magnificent beasts to roam the planet.

The Barasingha

The barasingha weighs 170 - 180 kg (370 - 400 lb). It occurs in a wide range of habitats, especially preferring marshes, where it can be highly aquatic, and grassy areas close to water. It also occurs in a variety of forest types. It eats mainly grasses. The barasingha can be active during the day or at night. It associates in mixed herds of males and females for most of the year, averaging about 10 - 20 animals in a herd.

The barasingha was formerly located in suitable localities throughout the basins of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers as well as central India . Its population has declined significantly. Currently, it is restricted to India and Nepal in a northern population in the terai of Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Nepal and Assam, as well as a southern population in Madhya Pradesh.

The drastic decline of the barasingha is due predominantly to loss or modification of its habitat for cultivation or tree plantations, such as the planting of eucalyptus. Poaching and shooting for (allegedly) crop protection has also had a major impact. Diseases introduced by cattle may also have been a factor.

The barasingha was formerly located in suitable localities throughout the basins of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers as well as central India as far south as the Godavari River, generally in areas covered by moist, deciduous forests . In the 19th century it occurred along the base of the Himalayas from Upper Assam, in a few places in the Indo-Gangetic plain from the Eastern Sundarbans to Bahawalpur to Rohri in Upper Sind, and locally throughout the area between the Ganges and Godavari as far east as Mandla.

In the early 20th century it was found primarily in the marshes bordering the Himalayas and along some of the rivers in the Gangetic basin; in Assam, India it was common in the Brahmaputra River valley; in central India , it was found in scattered pockets mostly south of the Narmada River in what is now the state of Madhya Pradesh. By the middle 1960's, populations were small and isolated and declining rapidly. At that time it was found in greatest concentration in Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining area of southwest Nepal ; scattered small herds also occurred in northern Bengal, Assam and Madhya Pradesh. Currently it is found in several localities in the terai of southern Nepal and adjacent districts of India, and in Assam and Madhya Pradesh, India ( Wemmer et al. 1998 ). 

The causes of the barasingha's decline and present threats include destruction or modification of its habitat for wetland reclamation, grass and timber cutting, illegal gathering of fuelwood and other resources in reserves, and cultivation or tree plantations; poaching; and shooting for (allegedly) crop protection. Diseases introduced by cattle may also have been a factor.

The barasingha occupies a wide variety of forest types, including dry and moist deciduous forest , mangrove forest and evergreen forest, but its prime habitat in the past has been grasslands and reed beds bordering the major rivers in the northern part of its range. Regardless of the vegetation type, it prefers areas with water; flat to moderately hilly terrain; and open localities comprised of either marshes and grasslands or of woodlands with an understory of grasses.

Gaur (Indian Bison)

The Gaur or Indian Bison is a large endangered herbivore, and can be seen in protected sanctuaries in India. In the wild its young are preyed upon by tigers and leopards and the loss of its habitat due to human encroachment has led to the reduction in its population across India. In North East India a tame version of the Gaur, known as Mithun is used as a farm animal and is sacrificed and eaten at ritual feasts.

Zoological name: Bos frontalis

Range: The Gaur can be seen in the wild in forests of South and Eastern India, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal and Bhutan.

Estimated population: It is estimated that there are around 1000 Gaur or Indian Bison worldwide.

The Gaur or Indian Bison is a large animal. Male Gaurs are black in color, while female Gaurs are brown. Both the hide of male and female Gaurs is white below the knee of each leg, giving the gaur an appearance of wearing white stockings. Gaur calves are light brown and do not have "stockings." Adult Gaur bulls can grow almost 2 m tall and weigh from 650 to 1000 Kg. Female Gaur are smaller in size. Older male Gaurs have a big dorsal ridge along the length of their backs and huge dewlaps.

The Gaur lives in grassy clearings and in evergreen and deciduous forest. The Barasingha is found in forested areas in Karnataka and Assam in India. It can live in altitudes up to 1,800 m. Gaur usually spend the night in a forest and emerge into the forest clearings to feed during the day.

Gaurs are herbivores. They feed mainly on grass. During times of drought Gaurs will eat leaves, creepers and plants. Being ruminant animals they usually feed during the morning, rest and ruminate in the afternoon, feed some more in the evening and return to the forest cover to rest at night.

Gaurs usually live in herds of around 10 animals, however herds of up to 40 Gaurs have been seen. Herds are led by an adult male bull. Bulls fight amongst themselves to establish dominance over a herd. Male bulls may also live in bachelor herds. Gaurs vocalize to warn the herd of danger and to communicate among themselves. Licking is another means of communication among Gaurs.

Gaurs are endangered with only around a 1000 left in the wild. Their numbers are threatened by human encroachment of their habitat. Diseases of domestic cattle are also a threat to the survival of Gaur in the wild.