Bengal Tiger — Habitat and Distribution

The vast majority of the world's Bengal tigers are found in the wild within the borders of India. According to recent tiger censuses, India is home to nearly 75% of the total global tiger population.

They are primarily concentrated in India's extensive network of protected Tiger Reserves and National Parks.

The most famous and unique habitat for the Bengal Tiger is the Sundarbans.

The Sundarbans is a massive mangrove forest situated in the massive delta formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers, spanning across West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh.

• The tigers here are unique: they have adapted to an amphibious lifestyle, living in dense muddy swamps and swimming effortlessly across wide, tidal rivers.
• It is the only mangrove forest in the world that is home to tigers.

Apart from the Sundarbans, Bengal tigers thrive in dry deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, and tall grasslands. Key locations include:

1. Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand) — The oldest national park in India, famous for high tiger density.
2. Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan) — Known for tigers that are easily spotted during daytime.
3. Bandhavgarh & Kanha National Parks (Madhya Pradesh) — Madhya Pradesh is known as the 'Tiger State' of India.
4. Kaziranga National Park (Assam) — Shares habitat with the one-horned rhinoceros.
5. Bandipur & Nagarhole (Karnataka) — Rich habitats in South India.

While mostly in India and Bangladesh, smaller populations of Bengal Tigers are also found in the neighboring countries of:

• Nepal (especially in Chitwan National Park and Bardia National Park)
• Bhutan (living surprisingly at high altitudes in the Himalayan foothills)