Another factor which is a reason for the decline in the tiger population is the presence of Naxalites. These militants provoke the villagers into taking revenge against these animals for killing their cattle, leading to the death of these tigers and leopards.

Tigers have unique features. A tiger’s anatomy is such that it mates once in two years, so that the litter of cubs it produces can be looked after. The cubs stay with their mother for two years and during this time, the mother teaches them all the hunting techniques and makes them capable of surviving on their own.

8 weeks old cubs join their mothers on its hunt. By the time they are 6 months old, it has learnt how to kill, and by 16 months, they are capable of killing of feeding themselves. After two years these cubs are left alone by the mother. A tiger matures after it is 4 years old.

The tiger is a very strong adversary. It usually kills its prey with the help of its exceptionally strong jaws. When it kills its prey, before starting to eat it, it first cleanses the body by removing its hair with the help of its incisors. Then he scrapes away its skin by licking it with his very coarse tongue and then starts eating. A tiger usually doesn’t finish the whole meal in one sitting. A tigress always allows its cubs to feed themselves and eats in the end. The tigers in Sunderbans can be seen even during the day, which is unusual as they are nocturnal animals. Being solitary animals, they usually hunt at night.