What is the National Animal of India?

National Animal: Bengal Tiger Scientific name: Panthera tigris tigris Declared national animal: 1973

Why Tiger Replaced Lion: • The lion was India's national animal before 1973 • In 1969, the Wildlife Board of India decided to change it to the tiger because the lion population was dangerously low (confined mainly to Gir Forest, Gujarat) • The tiger was more widely distributed across India and in need of urgent conservation • In 1973, Project Tiger was launched and the Bengal Tiger was officially declared the national animal

Project Tiger: • Launched: 1 April 1973 • Launched by: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi • Initial tiger reserves: 9 reserves in 1973 • Governing body: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) • Purpose: Conservation of Bengal Tiger and its habitat • Current status: India has 53 tiger reserves (as of 2023) • India has about 3,000+ tigers (2022 census) — more than 70% of the world's wild tigers

Key Tiger Reserves in India:

1. Jim Corbett National Park — Uttarakhand (first national park in India, 1936; first Project Tiger reserve, 1973)
2. Ranthambore — Rajasthan
3. Sundarbans — West Bengal (mangrove tiger habitat)
4. Bandhavgarh — Madhya Pradesh (highest tiger density)
5. Kanha — Madhya Pradesh
6. Tadoba — Maharashtra
7. Kaziranga — Assam (also has rhinoceros)
8. Nagarhole — Karnataka
9. Mudumalai — Tamil Nadu
10. Panna — Madhya Pradesh

Bengal Tiger Facts: • Bengal tigers can weigh up to 300 kg (males) • Solitary and territorial • Night hunter; carnivore (deer, wild boar, gaur) • IUCN Status: Endangered • Main threats: habitat loss, poaching for skin and bones • The Bengal Tiger appears on India's national emblem (Lion Capital of Ashoka also appears — do not confuse)

Note on the Indian Lion: • The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) is found only in Gir Forest National Park, Gujarat • It is the state animal of Gujarat • The Asiatic Lion was removed from the list of national animal in 1973 when tiger was declared