Bengal Tiger - Habitat
Though tigers occupy a variety of habitats including tropical evergreen forests, deciduous forests, mangrove swamps, thorn forests and grass jungles, ranging from the Himalayas in North India to Cape Comorinin the south, they are mostly found in the Sunderbans of West Bengal and the forested slopes of the Western Ghats. The Sunderbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world, and with its dense foliage, thick undergrowth, criss-crossed by many streams, pools of cool water and a complex network of tidal waterways, making it a simply fabulous kingdom for an equally fabulous king. In general, tigers love densely forested areas, both for the shelter that they provide and also, more importantly, because they attract the large ungulates, like deer, which are the tiger's main prey and food base. Tigers are also excellent swimmers, and so they prefer areas which have small pools of water. It is quite common to find tigers lazing around or playing in pools of water on hot summer afternoons to beat the heat.
