Tigers begin their life cycle by sexual reproduction, which results in the birth of cubs. The cubs turn into adult tigers after two and a half years. Tigers can live for approximately 15 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.
Tigers are the largest of the cat species. They are solitary creatures that only interact with other members of their species when they are young or ready to mate. Similar to most other mammals, they reproduce sexually. When a female is ready to mate, she uses her urine to imprint her smell and makes loud calls to attract a potential partner. Males and females mate for a few days before separating. The gestation period of a fertilised egg is 100 to 112 days.
Typically, litters consist of three or four cubs. Tiger cubs are born blind; hence, they rely largely on their moms. They suckle for six months and remain with their mothers for up to two and a half years. Half of all wild-born cubs do not survive to adulthood. As they reach adulthood, they gradually develop freedom and eventually leave to live alone. However, the majority of young tigers do not survive the transition to adulthood. Tigers typically mate every two years as adults.
