Bengal Tiger to Snow Leopard: Meet India’s five iconic big cat species

Famous for its prolific biodiversity and breathtaking landscape, India is also considered to be the home to an astonishing line-up of wild big cats. Along with more than 45,000 species of plants, wildlife lovers will find almost 15 big cat species in India. Out of these 15 different types of big cats, the lion, tiger, and leopard are known to be the most popular ones.

Known as the king of the Indian Jungles, the Bengal tiger is the national animal of India. Considered to be the most superior big cat species in the country, these majestic predators can be spotted at Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park, and Ranthambore National Park. An article published by Wildlife SOS claimed that, as per the Tiger Census of 2018-19, there are 2967 tigers in India, and the country accounts for around 70 per cent of the world's tiger population.

Often called the ghost of the mountains, the snow leopards are spotted in the mountainous regions of the Himalaya. According to another article published by Enriching Journeys, Ladakh, located in northern India, is dubbed as one of the best places in the world to find snow leopards.

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As per Wildlife SOS, it has been known to exist for more than 11 million years. Known as one of the most versatile big cat species in India, the Indian Leopard is a subspecies of the leopard. According to an article published by Inside Indian Jungles, these are lone hunters that are smaller compared to the tigers, but are pretty adaptable predators that can climb trees together with their prey.

According to Enriching Journeys, the Asiatic lion is currently limited to a single population in the Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the state of Gujarat. As per Inside Indian Jungles, this species was surviving with just 20 of its kind in the early 20th century, but now the numbers have increased to over 600 lions still in and around Gir National Park in Gujarat.

As per Enriching Journeys, the clouded leopard is known to be the smallest of the big cats spotted in India. This mysterious creature can be found in the forests of the north-eastern states, such as Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Source: HindustanTimes
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