The royal Bengal tiger, the national animal of Bangladesh, is being greatly reduced due to random poaching. The last official tiger census counted only 350 of the striped cats in Bangladesh.

For lovers of The Jungle Book the Bengal tiger is the model for the wily Shere Khan.

The Bengal tiger grows to be only about 3 metres long (including the tail) and weighs in at around 180kg. The vivid pattern of stripes on the glossy skin serves as a very effective camouflage in the grasses and foliage in almost all the seasons.