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Indian National Studbook of Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris)

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Indian National Studbook of Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) Indian National Studbook of Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Studbook compiled and analysed by Anupam Srivastav Manjari Malviya P. C. Tyagi Parag Nigam December, 2011 Copyright © WII, Dehradun, and CZA, New Delhi, 2011 Cover Photo: Dr. Parag Nigam This report may be quoted freely but the source must be acknowledged and cited as: Srivastav, A., Malviya, M., Tyagi, P.C. and Nigam, P. (2011). Indian National Studbook of Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and Central Zoo Authority, New. Delhi. TR-2011/006 Published as a Technical Report of the CZA assignment for the compilation and publication of the Indian National Studbooks for selected endangered species of wild animals in Indian Zoos. Acknowledgements This Studbook is a part of the assignment to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun assigned by the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi, for the compilation and publication of studbooks of selected endangered species of wild animals in Indian zoos. The authors wish to thank the Central Zoo Authority for financial support and the opportunity to compile the National Studbook for Royal Bengal Tiger. We are thankful to Shri. P. R. Sinha, Director WII for his guidance and support. We would also like to express our appreciation for the advice and support extended by Dr. V.B. Mathur, Dean Faculty of Wildlife Sciences, WII. The authors also wish to thank Shri. B.S. Bonal, Member Secretary, CZA and all the staff members of the Central Zoo Authority, specially Dr. Brij Kishor Gupta, Evaluation and Monitoring Officer, Dr. Naim Akhtar, Scientific Officer and Shri Vivek Goyal, Data Processing Assistant, for their advice and support. The help rendered in compilation of the studbook data by zoos holding Royal Bengal Tiger in India is gratefully acknowledged. We also wish to thank Ms. Laurie Bingmann Lackey of ISIS for providing the SPARKS software. Her kind advice and timely help were of great help in compilation of this studbook. The authors express their gratitude and appreciation to Shri. Mukesh Arora and Shri Virendra Sharma, Computer personnel, Wildlife Institute of India for designing and formatting the studbook. Authors CONTENTS Sl No. Topic Page No. 1. Royal Bengal Tiger: Biology and Status 1 2. Scope of the Studbook 4 3. Methodology 6 4. Profile of Captive Population 7 5. Demographic Analyses 37 6. Genetic Analyses 43 7. Population Planning & Mating Recommendations 53 8. Conclusion 55 9. References 56 10. Annexure - I: Glossary of Terms 58 11. Annexure - II: Pedigree Chart Report 61 12. Annexure - III: Historical listing of Bengal tiger 201 with unknown lineage/ white gene in Indian zoos 13. Annexure - IV: Live listing of Bengal tiger with 266 unknown lineage/ white gene in Indian zoos Royal Bengal Tiger: Biology and Status Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivore Family: Felidae Scientific Name: Panthera tigris tigris Species Authority: Linnaeus, 1758 Common Name/s: Bengal tiger (English), Bagh, Sher (Hindi), Bagh (Nepali), Wagh (Marathi), Poolee (Tamil & Telugu), Kaduwa (Malyalam), Hoolee (Kannad) National animal of India, the Royal Bengal Tiger is a top predator and a flagship species. A total of 39 tiger reserves (32137.14 sq km of core tiger habitat) are home to the species. The dwindling population of tigers in India despite showing an upward trend as reflected by 2010 tiger population estimates, continues to remain threatened by large scale poaching and habitat fragmentation. The Bengal tiger is placed under the order Carnivora due to the presence of one molar tooth on each side of the jaw, called carnassials or flesh tooth for cutting meat. Based on classical taxonomy 8 subspecies based on body size, skull characters, pelage coloration, and striping patterns, are recognized: Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Siberian tiger (P.t. altaica) Chinese tiger (P.t. amoyensis) Indo-Chinese tiger (P.t. corbetti) Caspian tiger (P.t. virgata) Sumatran tiger (P.t. sumatrae) Javan tiger (P.t. sondaica) Balinese tiger (P.t. balica) Recent taxonomic revision based on significant differences in genetic structure among tigers from different geographic regions with respect to the allelic variation in the major histocompatability complex (MHC), mitochondrial DNA, and microsatellite data, allopatric geographical distribution of sub-species and their differential natural history; suggest that there are 5 extant sub-species of tigers (the Caspian, Bali and Javan tiger are extinct and the population of Sumatran tiger has shrunk to a very small number): Siberian/Amur tigers (P. t. altaica) Indochinese tigers (P. t. corbetti); Sumatran tigers (P. t. sumatrae); Bengal tigers (P. t. tigris); South China tiger (P. t. amoyensis). The Indochinese tiger has been found by some researchers to exist as two separate sub species viz. Northern Indochinese tigers (P. t. corbetti I) and Southern Indochinese tigers (P. t. corbetti II). A new theory put forward by Kitchener and Dugmore (2000) states that there are only three sub-species of tiger on basis of biogeographic analysis Panthera tigris tigris, P.t. sondaica and P.t. virgata. All the other known sub-species are not diagnosably distinct sub-species but a small part of the population of above three mentioned sub-species that have undergone clinal changes as a response to environmental and ecological gradients throughout their mainland distribution. 1 Biology General Characteristics/Morphology The tiger pelage is light tawny to orange, with under parts of legs, abdomen, cheek and throat white. The black coloured stripes of tigers are unique among all felids and make a distinctive pattern which varies from one individual to other and thus are used as a census tool. Table 1: Biological attributes of Bengal Tiger Attributes Males Females Body length 270-310 cm 240-265 cm Body weight 175-260 kg 100-160 kg Age at first reproduction (free ranging) 4.8 years (mean) 3.8 years (mean) Age at first reproduction (in captivity) 2.5 years 2.5 years Longevity 12-15 years in wild; 20 years or more in captivity Gestation period 106 -112 days Litter size Ranging from 1 – 7 cubs (mostly 2-4) Habitat Ecology In India, tiger occur in thorny, tropical dry and moist deciduous forest, evergreen and semi-evergreen forest, and mixed sub-tropical forests on foothills of Himalayas. They are also found in riparian terai grasslands and swampy mangrove forests. The main factors that have implications on habitat selection are presence of large-bodied prey, dense cover and water. Tiger mainly prey upon ungulates, in the absence of large bodied cervids and bovids in areas like tropical dry deciduous forest they have adapted to small prey and only occasionally take to cattle lifting. Though domestic cattle are considered an important prey for tiger but occasional man-eating is considered an aberrance from the normal feeding habits. The tiger is an opportunistic predator hunting on a diverse prey base that includes sambar (Rusa unicolor), chital (Axis axis), barasingha/swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii), wild boar (Sus scrofa), hog deer (Axis porcinus), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), nilgai/blue bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus), chousingha (Tetracerus quadricornis), chinkara (Gazella bennettii), black buck (Antilope cervicapra), gaur (Bos gaurus), wild buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) serow (Naemorhedus sumatraensis), porcupine (Hystrix indica), Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus entellus), rhesus macaque (Macaca mulata), bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata), peafowl (Pavo cristatus) and sometimes even calves of rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) and elephant (Elephas maximus). They have also been reported to kill other carnivores like sloth bear (Melurus ursinus), crocodile (Crocodylus spp), scaly anteater (Manis crassicaudata) leopard (Panthera pardus) and dholes (Cuon alpinus). Apart from the wild prey, domestic cattle constitute a large part of their diet. Behaviour Though the tiger is a solitary, nocturnal predator, however; temporary association between a mating pair and comparatively prolonged association between mother and her offspring are the only social phases of a tiger’s life. Their home range consists of the optimal habitat in which it can make a kill, rest and mate. A territory is the area defended by an adult tiger against other tigers. Males have larger home ranges that overlap with home ranges of more than one female. The size of the home range is dynamic, typically depending upon the abundance of prey and overall tiger population in the area. The purpose of defending a territory differs with sex, while female occupy an area big enough to feed herself and her cubs, a male occupies larger area that encompasses the home ranges of many females to increase his reproductive success. Tigers maintain their territory and avoid intra-specific conflict by means of a range of communication methods which includes vocalization and scent and scratch marks. The different vocalizations by tiger include roars, moans, growls and grunts. The various sounds can be defined as moaning and roaring (roars though rarely heard are used for keeping away other tigers, it along with moaning serves as a communication between prospective mates when a female is receptive), prusten (a friendly sound 2 mostly emitted by a mother approaching her cub), pooking (a sound believed to advertise tiger’s presence), grunting (emitted by female to command the cubs to follow her), miaowing (made by cub, apparently indicate stress), woofing (an expression of surprise), growling, snarling and hissing (threatening sounds produced when the animal is annoyed) and coughing roar (indicate anger emitted during attack). The adult tiger usually avoid each other however when female comes in oestrus the pair associate for two-three days during which they frequently made. There does not seem to be a definitive seasonality in breeding however there is a certain peak in behaviour related to mating from November- April. A male tiger mates with any receptive female it may chance upon whether resident or transient. After birth the mother nurses the cubs for about two months, subsequently the cubs are fed meat.
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