National Animal of India: National emblems in India reflect the country’s image and have been carefully selected to do so. The country’s national identity symbols help define its people and their history. The Royal Bengal Tiger has been selected as India’s official national animal. The tiger was a powerful animal in Hindu mythology and during the Vedic period. Animals were commonly depicted as Durga’s vehicles in the numerous shapes they took. The vast majority (80%) of the world’s tigers may be found in India. Postage stamps and money notes depicting the Royal Bengal Tiger have appeared in India.

This post will bring you all you need to know about India’s national animal, the Royal Bengal Tiger.

India’s National Animal

National Animal of India: The federal animal of India is the Royal Bengal Tiger. These are one of the most elegant carnivores in the Indian fauna, both majestic and lethal at the same time. Unlike any other animal, the Royal Bengal tiger embodies strength, grace, and agility in an unsurpassed way. As India’s national animal, it represents each of these virtues. Scientifically, it’s known as the Royal Bengal Tiger and is one of 4 big cats in the Panthera genus to be the largest (Lion, Jaguars, Tiger,  and Leopards). There are eight species of tigers in India, and one of them is the Royal Bengal Tiger.

India’s National Animal: Classification by Science

Tigers of the Royal Bengal subspecies are classified as follows by scientists:

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
CladeSynapsida
ClassMammalia
OrderCarnivora
FamilyFelidae
GenusPanthera
SpeciesPanthera tigris
SubspeciesPanthera tigris tigris

Where Can You Find India’s National Animal?

India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka are just a few countries on the Indian Subcontinent where you can see tigers. It can be seen in nearly all regions of India, save the north-eastern states. Wild boars are present in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh,   and Karnataka. Today, the tiger population in India stands at 70% of the world’s total. More than 2500 tigers aged 1.5 years or older are found in India’s tiger reserves as of 2016. There are 408 Royal Bengal Tigers at Karnataka’s Bandipur National Park, followed by Uttarakhand (340) and Madhya Pradesh (310).

How long does a tiger live?

The average lifetime of a Bengal tiger is 8 to 10 years in the wild.

A wild specimen’s average life expectancy is 15 years.

Almost no tigers live to be 15 years old in the wild because they lose the strength to seek larger prey.

Bengal tigers in zoos can live up to 18 or 20 years in a comfortable environment with their keepers.

Proposed Tiger: India’s National Animal

The tiger’s population began to decline rapidly in 1973. In April 1973, Project Tiger was launched to save the gorgeous and royal animal. Project Tiger’s goal is to protect the tigers from extinction and safeguard biologically significant regions for future generations as a natural legacy that represents as closely as possible the diversity of ecosystems found throughout the country where they are located.

In April 1973, the Royal Bengal Tiger was designated as India’s national animal.

To help save India’s declining tiger population, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched Project Tiger in 1973.

In the beginning, Kailash Sankhala was Project Tiger’s director.

The lion was India’s national animal until 1973 when it was replaced with the tiger.

Currently, India maintains a total of 50 tiger reserves under Project Tiger.

Animals that are native to each country are included.

Here is a comprehensive list of all the countries’ official national animals.

CountryNational Animal
AfghanistanMarco Polo Sheep
ArgentinaPuma
AustraliaKangaroo
BangladeshRoyal Bengal Tiger
BelgiumLion
BhutanTakin
BoliviaLlama
BrazilJaguar
BulgariaLion
ChileHuemul
ChinaChinese Dragon
ColombiaAndean Condor
CubaCuban Crocodile
Cyprusmouflon sheep
DenmarkLion
EgyptSaladin’s Eagle
EnglandLion, Bulldog
FinlandBrown Bear
FranceGallic Rooster
HungaryTurul
IndiaRoyal Bengal Tiger
IraqKomodo Dragon
IrelandIrish Wolfhound, Red Deer
Israelgazelle
JapanPheasant, Koi
JordanOryx
MalaysiaMalayan Tiger
Myanmarpeafowl
NetherlandsLion
New ZealandMoose
NorwayLion
PakistanMarkhor
PhilippinesCarabao
PolandWhite Eagle
PortugalIberian wolf
Puerto RicoCoqui
Romanialynx
RussiaRussian Brown Bear
ScotlandUnicorn and Lion
SingaporeLion
South AfricaSpringbok Antelope
South KoreaKorean Tiger
SpainBull
Sri LankaLion
TaiwanFormosan Black Bear
ThailandThai Elephant
United States of AmericaAmerican Bison
VietnamWater Buffalo
ZimbabweSable Antelope

FAQs

What is the most common type of animal in the country?

The Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris Tigris) is India’s national animal and a symbol of the country’s woods. However, India tries to safeguard all of its species.

How many species of animals are there in India?

Despite occupying only 2.4% of the planet’s land area, India is home to 8%-14% of the world’s species, including around 45,000 plant species and 91,000 animal species.

How do you interpret the tiger’s meaning?

The Royal Bengal tiger represents power, grace, and agility.

What is the average lifespan of a Bengal Tiger?

Typically, tigers live for 8 to 10 years in the wild.

In the United States, what is the official animal?

The American Bison is Pakistan’s national animal.

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