Did you know, India is the only country in the world that is home to all three prime members of the wild big cat family – the Lion, Tiger and Leopard?
Besides the big names, India hosts almost 15 other big cat species, including Puma, Jaguar, Clouded Leopard, Desert Cat and so on. Here are 5 must-see big cats found in the forests of India:
The national animal of India, the Royal Bengal tiger have light yellow to orange coats with strips ranging from light brown to dark in color. The average weight of a male tiger is approximately 265 kg where the average weight of female tigers is 140-165 kg. This striped cat generally has an average lifespan of 20-25 years and during their lifespan, they may travel many 100 kilometers within the forest corridors and can give birth to 2 -3 cubs.
A Black Panther is a leopard only, but because of a rare mutation called melanism, they turn completely black and hence derive the unique name. Wonderful tree climbers, these big cats are extremely fast and have fantastic eyesight.
This big wild cat can be found throughout the country. In total there are 7910 leopards as per the census of 2014 and a total of 12000 speculated leopards, Of which the state of Madhya Pradesh hosts a maximum number of approx 1800 leopards in India. Karnataka and Maharashtra are next in the queue.
India is the only country in the world to have Asiatic Lions in their natural habitat. Lions generally live in pride ranging from 8 to 30 lions. Mostly, the female member of the pride hunt and satisfy the hunger of cubs and male lions of the pride. An adult male weighs somewhere around 180 kg as compare to 130 kg adult female members of this big cat family.
The is found in the states of and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. These unique creatures prefer rocky terrains and steep slopes which help them sneak up on their prey from a height. The snow leopard is smaller in size as compared to the other big cats and leopards. The standing height of snow leopard is approximately 2 ft and the average weight is between 35-55 kg.
