Super rare 'Black Tiger' in India, weighing over 500kg, easily took down a 4 meter long crocodile alone

Why do black tigers have black fur?

In late 2023, India's most popular and most watched English news channel Times Now reported on the Black Tiger - Black Tiger, a rare variant of the Royal Bengal Tiger (scientific name: Panthera tigris tigris).

Explaining the rare black colour of the black tiger, Times Now said that the black tiger has larger and darker stripes than normal Bengal tigers due to Melanism - a rare condition that causes an excess of black pigment in the animal.

Image of a black tiger.

According to research by zoologists, black tigers are only distributed in the Shilipal Reserve in Odisha (a state in Eastern India).

There are more than 200 white tigers in the world, but less than 10 black tigers. They are one of the rarest animals on Earth.

Analysis of the crocodile-killing power of "Black Tiger"

1. Strong physical strength

For carnivores, size and strength are the most important criteria to measure their strength. The Royal Bengal Tiger (or Bengal Tiger) is not only wild, strong but also very majestic. When fully grown, they are nearly 3 meters long and weigh up to 540 kg. They are called "Monsters of the Jungle".

The power of the black Bengal tiger is also very scary, they have well-developed limbs, a short and thick neck, broad and strong shoulders - an extremely powerful body. Once angry, even giant wild boars are bitten alive by them.

Black tiger at Shilipal Sanctuary, India. (Photo: Parveen Kaswan, IFS).

The physical strength of black tigers is no different from that of ordinary Bengal tigers, but their personality is often more aggressive and extremely bloodthirsty, even bears do not dare to provoke them.

This black tiger species has also been known to cause serious injuries to Asian elephants. Initially, they will attack by jumping on the elephant's back, then using their sharp jaws to bite the elephant's back frantically, causing the elephant to bleed.

2. Top acceleration ability

As a large cat, the black Bengal tiger has a perfect body structure, not only extremely strong but also slim and extremely flexible, able to dodge and move at will while fighting, and always taking the initiative when engaging.

The black Bengal tiger has a perfect body structure. (Photo: Parveen Kaswan, IFS).

This species is also very agile, aggressive and has excellent reflexes. When running at full speed, they can reach speeds of 65 km/h.

Thanks to its strong physique and top acceleration, the black tiger's impact force is terrifying.

3. All-round Champion

Because of their large bodies and fast running, they need a lot of energy. The amount of food they eat is amazing. Black tigers can eat up to 30 kg of meat in a single meal. Their main food includes large mammals such as wild boar, Indian blackbuck and Indian bison. When food is scarce, they will also climb trees to catch monkeys, or wade into water to catch crocodiles.

Therefore, they are known as the "all-powerful champions" in the carnivore world.

Tigers like to hunt alone, and black tigers are no exception. They usually hunt at night and their hunting skills are extremely high, whether it is a white-legged bison weighing more than half a ton or a wild boar with thick, rough skin. they are all prey for black tigers.

Even ferocious crocodiles are on the black Bengal tiger's list of favorite foods. Crocodiles are the largest reptiles on Earth. Some species can grow up to 4 meters long and weigh up to 1,500 kg. This reptile is also extremely powerful but still cannot escape the fate of being finished off by the black tiger, because the black Bengal tiger is very good at sneak attacks and likes to attack crocodiles from behind.

The black tiger can also avoid the crocodile's attack with its strong and flexible body. Thanks to its sharp senses, the black tiger knows how to attack the crocodile's weak points, quickly using its entire body to neutralize the crocodile's strength.

The black tiger is a rare variant of the Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). (Photo: Parveen Kaswan, IFS).

Black tigers have sharp teeth and claws, and their attack power is extremely terrifying. They have many skills, they can dive, jump far, climb trees, bite, and slap with their hands. They can kill many animals with just one blow, and their killing ability is unparalleled.

Their jaws are very strong, the lower jaw can expand freely, their bite force is nearly 600 kg, can crush the prey's neck in just one bite. Their teeth are also very sharp and have high penetrating ability. The bite depth exceeds 10 cm.

In addition, the black tiger's claws are also very sharp. They use their claws to pounce on their prey and then lock the victim in their super sharp claws.

4. Extremely sensitive senses

The black Bengal tiger has extremely sensitive senses. Its eyesight is sharp, and it has a very wide field of vision, allowing it to observe the movements of its prey in dense forests. Its hearing is also very sensitive, and its ears can constantly follow the sound source. Its sense of smell is very developed, and it can easily smell and classify many odors.

In addition, according to research by zoologists, the fangs of black Bengal tigers have extremely developed nerve endings, which can easily find the most vulnerable parts of prey when hunting, then deliver a fatal blow.