If you were wondering whether tigers will eat other tigers then you’ve come to the right article as I’ll be answering this question for you right here.
Also, after you’ve read the answer to the main question then I’ll cover a few more closely related questions that will extend your knowledge even more.
I hope you learn a lot from this one!
Do tigers eat other tigers and why?
Rarely do tigers eat the meat of another tiger, but it is more likely to occur when two adult tigers are fighting.
A tiger eating another tiger is never meant to satisfy its hunger, but it is inevitable after a fight.
It mainly happens when two adult tigers fight, and it is usually a little portion of the flesh that is eaten.
For example, the Siberian tigers will scavenge the carcass of a tiger to satiate its hunger, but they do not like eating other carnivores’ meat, particularly their kind.
The Siberian male tiger sometimes kills the cubs of other tigers, but this is mainly to force the female tiger of the cubs to mate with him.
Do Tigers Eat Baby Tigers?
Although it is not a common occurrence, adult tigers sometimes do feed on baby tigers.
There are several reasons why tigers eat their cubs, and one of the main reasons is when their cubs are behaving strangely or simply are physically disabled.
In this case, the mother tiger loses her natural parental instincts and ends up eating her baby.
Another reason that could make a tiger eat a baby tiger is when there is a new mating opportunity or to satisfy their hunger in desperate times.
Do Tigers Eat Other Cubs?
In rare cases, adult tigers eat other cubs.
Numerous research has proven that adult tigers not only kill their young ones but also the cubs of other tigers.
If they are very hungry and determined, tigers can feed on just about anything, including eagles, crocodiles, vultures, snakes, and pythons.
Do Tigers Eat Their Young?
Tigers do feed on their offspring at times, and research has proven that there are various reasons behind this.
The primary and most common reason why tigers end up feeding on their cubs is when they are born with some sort of physical disability or when they behave strangely.
In such cases, the mother tiger will end up eating its young.
Why Do Tigers Eat Their Young?
The main reason why adult tigers feed on their young ones is when they behave weirdly or simply showcase any form of physical disability.
In such cases, the tigress will immediately lose her parental instinct and feed on her cubs.
Other possible reasons that may make a tiger eat her/his babies are related to mating reasons or starvation in desperate times.
Though the idea of an adult tiger feeding on its offspring may seem cold and unnatural, life in the wild is very cruel, especially during the drought season.
Below are some of the believed reasons why tigers end up feeding on their babies.
1. It is Natural Maternal Behavior
Biologists have suggested the unnatural behavior of a mother feeding on her offspring is a common phenomenon among tigers as it is part of their “natural” maternal behaviors.
The possibility of this occurring is when the tigress desires to make certain changes to her number of cubs by eating some of her babies to allow her to raise fewer cubs more efficiently.
2. Some Cubs might not become Perfect Tigers
To maintain the natural balance, there can never be many tigers at the top of the food pyramid, and it should always narrow upwards.
So, when new young ones are born, they immediately become a potential threat to both the adult male and female tigers.
The mother tiger will be forced to feed on the young one she believes will not mature to become a “perfect” tiger.
By killing some of her imperfect tigers/weak tigers, a mother tiger eliminates any possible competition for resources in the future.
3. The Cub may be Unhealthy
If the tigress notices any of her cubs to have any form of physical disability then she will eat it to get rid of the problems that the cub might have to deal with whilst growing up.
This is because the wild is a very dangerous place and the weak animals hardly survive.
It is mainly a matter of survival of the strongest and fittest.
4. New Mating Opportunities
Scientific research has proven that when a female tiger gives birth to one cub then it will have to eat it to allow her to mate with another male tiger and probably have more cubs.
The tigress would have to kill her single cub to avoid not getting a mating partner.
5. Extreme Hunger
Another reason that may cause a tiger to feed on its young ones is when food is scarce in the wild.
This is usually a natural occurrence in the wild for any animal when it is forced to feed on its babies to satiate its hunger.
Though this might seem cruel, the chances of the cubs surviving in the wild during food scarcity are very minimal, especially if the mother dies of hunger.
In some cases, the adult tiger may also opt to feed on the young ones of other tigers.
Can Tigers Eat Other Tigers?
Tigers can feed on the meat of other tigers, especially during desperate times.
It isn’t, however, a common phenomenon because a tiger’s diet mainly consists of the meat of various large land mammals.
Also, female tigers will sometimes eat their current cub if the possibility arises of giving birth to more than one cub with another male tiger.
Which Animals Eat Tigers?
Several predators feed on tigers, including bears, crocodiles, leopards, hyenas, Asiatic wild dogs, lions, wolves, snakes, and alligators.
Also, tigers will sometimes feed on their species.
You can, however, be sure that a strong tiger will stand a good chance to survive and even win the fight if it happens to run into only one of the just mentioned animals.
Do Tigers Eat Lions?
Generally, tigers and lions do not feed on each other as they are both at the top of the food pyramid.
However, there is a high possibility of finding any of them feeding on each other during the low food season in the wild.
Research has proven that in a one-on-one fight, a lion will undoubtedly be defeated by a tiger.
Still, a pride of 2-4 lionesses would have a significant advantage over a lone female tiger.
Do Tigers Eat Humans?
Tigers do not like feeding on human flesh, but they will certainly feed on humans if the food options in the wild are limited.
The meat of humans is not their primary food source because humans do not contain much meat.
Instead, they’d rather hunt large land mammals as these animals will contain an amount of meat that will fulfill them better.
Do Tigers Eat Fish?
Tigers love eating fish.
Especially, if the fish happens to be an easy meal for the tiger when, the tiger, for example, runs into a fish that is trapped.
In desperate times, tigers might even go after fish in larger ponds.
Conclusion
In this article, you’ve learned that tigers will on rare occasions eat the meat of other tigers.
If two adult tigers, for example, happen to get into a fight then the winner might take a small bite out of the other tiger’s flesh which mainly happens because it is often inevitable after a fight.
It is, however, very unlikely that you’ll see a tiger scavenging on another tiger’s remains as tiger meat does not sit high on a tiger’s menu.