LIVING WITH MAN
Hanging by a thread
Over a century of indiscriminate hunting (left) saw the number of Bengal tigers in the wild shrink from 100,000 in the early 1900s to around 4,000. But in 1972, the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Indian government launched Project Tiger. More than 40 reserves were established and the species was given full protection, backed by a trade ban on all tiger products.
Uneasy peace
Yet even today, the tiger has an uneasy relationship with Man, as farmers and fishermen continue to encroach on its habitats. Continued attacks on humans, often brought about by injury, or by a desperate search for prey, make it hard for the tiger to live down its `maneater' reputation. Ultimately, its safety may depend on preserving wild, inaccessible regions such as the swamps of the Sundarbans.
Deadly duel
In the Sundarbans, around 100 people a year are killed by tigers. They are mainly fishermen whose poverty forces them to ignore the dangers of the king out a living by the water's edge. But there is no evidence that the tigers prefer humans to other prey: their victims are very seldom eaten.
Villagers and officials in Nepal look on as a Bengal tiger has a radio collar fitted under sedation.
Tigers under threat from...
...poaching, which in the remote Sundarbans, is very hard to police
...destruction of habitat, as land is cleared for farming
...and trade in Eastern medicines, which value all parts of the tiger.
DID YOU KNOW?
Strange breed
Accidental breeding between tigers and lions in captivity has produced two remarkable hybrids. The lion-sired `liger' (right) has a lion's mane and a tiger's stripes. Over 3m (10ft) long, it can reach speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph). The tiger-sired `tigon' is smaller.
