National animal of India | National Symbols

by Yuvi - March 12, 2022

What is the National animal of India ?

Royal Bengal Tiger is National Animal of India with effect from April 1973. The scientific name of Bengal Tiger is Panthera Tigris. Tigers is one of the largest specimen among the cat family. Royal Bengal Tiger is graceful, strong, agile and powerful.

Why Tiger was declared as National Animal of India?

Royal Bengal Tiger has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes on it. This combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power, due to these features the Bengal Tiger has earned its pride of place as the National animal of India. Indian Government launched ‘Project Tiger’ to save tigers on 1st April 1973, from the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.

Under ‘Project Tiger’ total 27 Tiger reserves have been established in the country so far, covering an area of 37,761 sq km.

A national animal is among one of the emblematic representatives of natural wealth of a country. There are certain criteria based on which the national animal is selected. National animal should denotes certain features which a nation wants to be recognized with.

  • The national animal should be a part of the heritage and cultural history of the nation.
  • The national animal should be in abundance within the country.
  • The national animal should be indigenous to that particular nation and suitable to be the identity of the country
  • The national animal status helps in conservation of the animal and better efforts towards its sustained survival due to the official status.

Interesting Facts of Royal Bengal Tiger – the National Animal of India

  1. Tigers is one of the largest specimen among the cat family.
  2. Eight subspecies of tiger are- Royal Bengal, Amur or Siberian, South China, Indo-Chinese, Sumatran, Caspian, Java, and Bali.
  3. Among these some tigers have been hunted to extinction like Caspian, Java, and Bali.
  4. Tiger prefer the lowlands and is mostly seen in swamps, grasslands and mangroves. The Bengal mangrove ecosystem is a rich habitat for royal Tigers and they are good swimmers.
  5. Lion was the national animal of India Till 1972. Later on November 18, 1972 The Royal Bengal Tiger, a ‘majestic creature’ was conferred as the national animal of India.
  6. The Tiger is also the national animal of Bangladesh, South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
  7. Nagpur is known as the ‘Tiger Capital of India’
  8. Due to decrease of forest cover and poaching the population of Royal Bengal Tigers are falling abruptly and Tigers are added in the Red List by the IUCN.
  9. Indian Government has launched Project Tiger in 1973 to conserve the Tigers.
National Animal of India
Common Name: Royal Bengal Tiger
Scientific Name Panthera tigris tigris
Adopted in 1972
Found in: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka
Habitat: Grasslands, forests, mangrove vegetation
Eating Habits: Carnivorous
Average weight: Male – 220 Kg; Female – 140 Kg
Average Length: Male – upto 3 m; Female – upto 2.6 m
Average Lifespan: 8-10 years in wild
Average Speed: 60km/h
Conservation Status: Endangered (IUCN Red List)
Current number: 2500 in 2016
FAQ for National Animal of India
What is National animal of India? Royal Bengal Tiger is the national animal of India
When Royal Bengal Tiger was adopted as National animal of India? Royal Bengal Tiger was adopted as the national animal of India in April 1973.
What is National aquatic animal of India? River Dolphin which is a rare species of dolphins is the national aquatic animal of India.
Lifespan of a Royal Bengal Tiger? 8 to 10 years is the average lifespan of a tiger in the wild.
What does the Royal Bengal Tiger represent? The Royal Bengal tiger represents the strength, agility, and grace.

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