How Long Do Tigers Live? Explore Their Lifespan!

Tigers are one of the most fascinating animals loved for their strength, bravery, and power. They are one of the most studied of all animals hence people do know about various things about them including their habitat, lifecycle, eating habits, species, and more. Moreover, tigers’ lifespan is one of the most debated subjects. Thus, if you want to know about their lifecycle you have landed in the right place. The article will unveil “How long do tigers live” and everything about their average life cycle.

How Long Do Tigers Live on Average?

Do you love tigers and want to know everything about them? Are you wondering “how long do tigers live”? Well, an easy and simple answer to this question is they live for 10 to 15 years on average. However, it depends on their habitats, eating patterns and more. Whether live in the wild or in captivity, many factors contribute to the lifespan of a tiger including disease, natural disasters, habitats, environment, atmosphere and more.

In addition, tigers are predators that prey on other animals for food consumption including zebras, deer, foxes and more. There are approximately 6 tiger subspecies with two well recognized including the Bengal tiger in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan and the Siberian Tiger in the Russian Far East.

The average lifespan of a tiger of any species in the wild is a maximum of about 10 to 15 years. In addition, one of the amazing facts about “how long do tigers live” is that every year female tigers have been three to five cubs that face difficulties in surviving. Moreover, only about 50% of cubs live for two years and die in the early stage.

Although tigers can make up to 10 to 15 years of their lifespan, however, the situation can go worse for tiger species living in the wild. Why? Because of human intervention. To put it simply, due to human intervention in the spaces inhabited by this wildlife animal, the average life period of tigers has been inevitably falling lower and lower with each passing day.

Moreover, wildlife researchers stated that the previously estimated average lifespan of approximately 10 to 15 years has been decreased only to 10 to 12 years recent. This indicates that this wildlife animal has to face serious life threats from humans apart from natural disasters and diseases. However, many countries like Nepal, China, India and other several Southeast Asian countries paid special attention to this matter and take serious practical steps to ensure their safety, protection and long life.

Furthermore “how long do tigers live” and how they should be protected is the biggest concern of countries as well. The governments of many countries where you can find precious species of tigers have made strict regulations and laws for the protection of wildlife animals including tigers. In addition, strict punishments are also served to those who hunt tigers. This helps in making their lifespan a little bit longer than before.

How Long Do Tigers Live in The Wild?

There is a large number of different tiger species, that scientists still trying to study about them to understand their lifespan. However, the average lifespan of tigers in the wild varies depending upon several elements. Tigers living in the wild have to face inexorable pressure from poachers, a lack of prey, human intervention, geographical and climate changes, retaliatory killings, destruction of their habitat and more.

Moreover, tigers living in the wild might not have a proper and regular source of food. For instance, if they fail to prey on animals, they wouldn’t have any other thing to eat. Tigers don’t prefer to consume grass or plants. Thus, in case of unavailability of prey they would remain hungry for straight days so will their cubs.

In addition, if they come across any virus, disease, or got injured they don’t have an access to any medical help to cure and treat the disease or a virus. Thus, there always are greater chances that tigers living in the wild might come across death early than ones living in captivity.

“How Long Do Tigers Live” in Captivity?

Are you curious about “how long do tigers live” in captivity? A tiger living in captivity or in a zoo would have a relatively larger lifespan than the one living in the wild. In captivity tigers of any species have an average lifespan of 22 years. However, with proper care and attention, they can succeed in making it up to 25 years. The reasons for their increased and longer lifespan is that they are provided with many facilities including medical care, proper medical treatment, sufficient healthy food, a balanced diet and away from any disasters.

Probable Causes of Tiger Death

“How long do tigers live” depends on the fact that what are the probable causes of their death. Below explained are a few significant factors that can threaten their life including:

• Poaching
• Predators
• Human impact

Poaching

As the term implies, poaching refers to the illegal killing of any animal including tigers in the wild. There are always two crucial reasons behind poaching. The very first is the act is done for any financial gains and benefits. In addition, the second might be a probable threat to either wildlife or humans. However, whatever the reasons poaching is always considered bad and illegal which impacted the wildlife to the core. This further resulted in a decrease in tiger species all over the world.

Studies and evidence show that throughout history tigers of all species including Bengal and Russian tigers, have been targeted and killed for their fur. In addition, tiger bones and body parts are also in high demand for practising certain medicines which is why we observe the illegal killing of tigers very often.

Predators

A few predators including Asiatic wild dogs and bears are one of the root causes of tigers’ death. Tigers often get caught and killed by predators at an early age which is why their average lifespan in the wild has been consistently decreasing with time.

In addition, tiger cubs are also exposed to various wildlife animals like crocodiles, snakes and more which is why they don’t succeed in making their life more than a few months or years. Furthermore, among all, one of the biggest threats and predators to their life is humans themselves.

Human Impact

It is beyond imagination how humans can impact tigers and wildlife as a whole – also humans have greater impacts on the query “how long do tigers live” as well. Tigers typically lose habitats due to several reasons including humans conserving land for domesticated animals, modifying land for agriculture, and converting it to use for other several purposes including logging. In addition, with the consistently increasing human population, the number of tiger habitats has been inevitably decreasing with time. Moreover, transforming land to use for agricultural purposes has isolated many of the tiger species as well. Limited habitats and unnecessary involvement of humans in wildlife seriously risk the population of tigers as well as lead to a decrease in their average lifespan.

How Long Do Bengal Tigers Live?

It is discussed more “how long do tigers live” however, do you know how long do Bengal tigers live? You would be amazed to know that the average lifespan of Bengal tigers is about 7 to 9 years – or a maximum of 10 years. However, very few of them can make up to even 15 years that is the extent in the wild. After a certain period like 10 years, they start to become too weak and lose their ability to prey on large animals.

How Long Do White Tigers Live?

Although it is clear “how long do tigers live” in the wildlife, nevertheless there is uncertainty about white tigers’ lifespan residing in the wild. However, some scientists argue that white tigers’ lifespan is more or less similar to Bengal tigers. Thus, it reflects that these tigers also make up to about 10 to 12 years.

Tiger	Lifespan in the Wild	Average Lifespan	Lifespan in Captivity
Bengal Tiger	8 to 10 years	12 to 18 years	18 to 20 years
Siberian tiger	15 to 17 years	15 to 17 years	20 to 25 years
Indochinese Tiger	Up to 15 years	15 to 20 years	20 to 26 years
Sumatran Tiger	15 to 20 years	15 to 20 years	20 to 25 years
South China Tiger	12 to15 years	15 to 20 years	Up to 20 years
Malayan Tiger	15 to 20 years	15 to 22 years	20 to 26 years
White tiger	10 to 12 years	10 to 16 years	Up to 20 years

Wrapping It Up

The article provides you with essential information on “how long do tigers live” in the wild and captivity as a whole. Nonetheless, how long tigers would live depends on the fact that how is their habitat, where they are living and how exposed they are to certain threats like natural disasters and more.