The Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera
tigris tigris Linn.) is an endemic subspecies
in the Indian Sub-continent. Only a
few decades ago it had a wider range of
distribution throughout this region. But
due to steady reduction of the forest area
and ruthless killing, this animal is steadily
disappearing from its previous range. Now
it is confined to the Sundarbans only, where
a good population of tiger is still available.
The tiger plays an important role in
the ecosystem of the mangrove forests. It
occupies the top stratum in the food chain.
It mainly feeds on deer population which
in turn have a great influence on the
regeneration of different plant species.
Moreover, the tiger acts as a guard to protect
the forests from illicit felling and has the
potentiality of attracting local and foreign
tourists.