Tigers are among the most majestic animals that can be found throughout East Asia.Tigers (Panthera tigris) are divided into nine subspecies, three of which are now extinct. Tigers can survive in various habitats, ranging from mangroves, rain forests, grasslands, and even the frigid mountains of Siberia.The tiger is not only the largest animal of the cat species but is also an apex predator, which means it is at the top of the food chain, with no natural predators in their natural environment. There are nine known tiger subspecies, of which the Indochinese tiger, South China tiger, Amur tiger, Bengal tiger, Sumatran tiger, and Malayan tiger are still living in the wild today. These predators all have their own specific appearances, which differ slightly in terms of color, coat, stripes, size, and lifespan. You may be surprised to know that tigers that live in captivity, like zoos, generally have longer life expectancies than tigers living in the wild. This is mainly because captive tigers get regular food and health services, which increases their life expectancy. Although males are bigger than female tigers, females have a longer lifespan.Tigers are a symbol of power in many cultures and are represented on several currencies and political emblems. After reading all about the lifespan of Panthera tigris, do check out are tigers bigger than lions and are tigers endangered?How long do tigers usually live in the wild?How long do tigers live? Tigers that live in the wild have a shorter lifespan compared to tigers that live in captivity, which can be due to many reasons. As mentioned above, tigers living in the wild may not have a regular source of food – if they fail to catch prey, they will go hungry, and so will their cubs. Also, if these wild tigers are injured or catch a disease, they do not have access to any medical help. Therefore, up until recently, the life expectancy of tigers living in the wild was believed to be between 10 - 15 years, whereas tigers can live for up to 25 years in captivity.However, the news could be even worse for those tigers that live in the wild. Due to human intervention in the territories inhabited by tigers, the average lifespan of tigers has been falling lower and lower. Wildlife researchers have claimed in recent years that the previously calculated average lifespan of 10 - 15 years has decreased to just 10 - 12 years. Many countries like India, China, Nepal, and several southeast Asian countries have made stringent laws for the protection of the endangered species of tigers, and strict punishments are served to those people who hunt or poach tigers.How long do Bengal tigers live in captivity?Bengal tigers are known for being one of the largest species of tigers – an adult male weighs about 386 - 573 lb (175 to 260 kg) while an adult female weighs 256 - 362 lb (116 - 164 kg). In the cat kingdom, all males are bigger than females of the same subspecies. Bengal tigers have a golden coat with stark black stripes and are mostly found in the mangrove areas of Sunderbans, huge forests situated in West Bengal and Bangladesh.Bengal tigers usually have a lifespan of only 8-10 years, which is a little lower than the average. However, they are also known for surviving better than most tiger species when held in captivity, with an average lifespan of 18-20 years. The longest lifespan ever recorded for a Bengal tiger was 25 years in captivity.Tiger Subspecies With Shortest LifespanAs mentioned above, out of nine subspecies of tigers that have existed in this world, three are now extinct. One of the extinct subspecies is the Bali tiger, which used to live on the Malaysian island of Bali. There are no records of captivating this tiger for conservation.Among the six surviving subspecies, the white tiger is recorded to have the lowest lifespan compared to other tigers. White tigers live for an average of only 8-10 years in the wild. Currently, there are no white tigers living in the wild, as these predators are heading the way of the now extinct Bali tiger, and have been declared as the most critically endangered species among all the tigers. All white tigers are now held in captivity, where their food, breeding and upbringing is taken care of, with the aim of increasing their population, lowering the mortality rate and ultimately saving them from extinction.Tiger Lifespan Comparison With Other Wild CatsThere are several species of wild cats other than tigers, which include lions, jaguars, leopards, lynx, mountain cats, wild cats. The highest recorded lifespan of a tiger was 26 years in captivity. The average lifespan of animals from the cat species differs due to their bodies, health, living conditions, weather, and availability of food. Unlike lions and tigers, leopards can climb trees, which helps them to have higher lifespans.While tigers can survive up to 10 - 15 years on an average, lions are known to live for about 10 - 16 years in the wild. Lions usually live for 20 - 25 years in captivity, which is a lot longer than that of tigers. Leopards have a higher lifespan of about 12 - 17 years in the wild and 23 - 26 years in captivity. The longest lifespan of a leopard ever recorded was 28 years. Smaller breeds of wild cats are known to have an average lifespan of 12 - 14 years in the wild.Lifespan Comparison Of Different Tiger SpeciesMost subspecies of tigers have a similar lifespan, which may differ based on circumstances like living conditions, its natural habitat and climate, weather, and availability of food and water. Tigers living in deserted, desolate areas may suffer greatly in the absence of a regular food source, like deer, and degrade in health. Most tigers like Siberian tigers, Sumatran tiger, Malayan tiger, South China tiger, and Indochinese tigers have an average lifespan of between 15-20 years, and live for a maximum of 22 years in their natural habitat.These tiger subspecies of Siberian tiger, Sumatran tiger, Amur Tiger, Malayan tiger, South China tiger, and Indochinese tiger have a longer life expectancy if they are held in captivity, as they are taken care of and have access to regular food and medical help. The lifespan range of these tiger subspecies increases from 20 years to even beyond 25 years in captivity. As mentioned above, the lowest lifespan of the tiger subspecies is that of white tigers. These critically endangered species are rescued and held in captivity all over the world. It is believed that these tigers might become extinct in a few years. These solitary animals live for an average of 10 - 15 years in the wild territory and live 20 - 25 years in captivity. The Bengal tiger and Sumatran tiger live somewhere between all these tiger subspecies, with a lifespan of 12 - 15 years in the wild territory. Their life expectancy increases in captivity, where Bengal and Sumatran tigers live for 20 - 25 years. All tigers mark their territory by urinating and defecating in various places of the region over a few weeks.How many tigers are left in the wild?Over the world, tigers usually come under the label of endangered species of animals. Their populations are severely dwindling due to several reasons like human intervention in forests and invasion of their territories, and climate change, which causes geographical changes, leading to dehydration and starvation among the tigers. Many tigers also die due to illegal hunting and poaching of these beautiful animals for their skin, teeth, nails, and every body part possible.Currently, the population of wild tigers around the world sits at just 3,900 tigers. From birth, a tiger cub needs a lot of special attention from its mother for the first two years of its life, as cubs are not able to go hunting for themselves. This is initially because newborn cubs generally are not able to see properly for the first two or three weeks after their birth, which puts the cubs in lot of danger. Female tigers take care of their cubs during this time. Mother tigers will go on the hunt to kill prey, like deer, for their cubs to eat.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how long do tigers live then why not take a look at Bengal tiger facts or are there tigers in Africa?
Tigers are among the most majestic animals that can be found throughout East Asia.
