In this article, we’ll answer the question:
“How long does a tiger live in captivity?”
First, you’ll find a short summary explaining the average length of time tigers live in captivity, then learn about the maximum age a tiger can be expected to stay alive. There’s also information about the lifespan of tigers in the wild and how many of these animals are still alive today.
Tigers are the largest living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera in the family Felidae and suborder Feliformia. This carnivorous mammal requires large contiguous areas of habitat to support natural requirements for prey and the rearing of offspring.
How Long Does a Tiger Live In Captivity?
A tiger lives between 14 and 16 years in captivity which is about six years longer than a tiger living in the wild.
Tigers live a long time in captivity because they have access to zoological medicine, receive regular health checks, and are under constant disease surveillance. Tigers in zoos also get proper nutrition and plenty of food to help keep these cats alive and healthy for longer periods of time.
What Is the Maximum Age of a Tiger?
The maximum age of a tiger is 25 years in captivity. Only one tiger has lived this long, a Bengali tiger in India name Raja, which is the oldest living tiger on record that died in the year 2022.
Tiger fact source: The Times of India
How Long Do Tigers Live In the Wild?
Tigers live between 8 and 10 years in the wild on average. However, only about half of all cubs live more than two years due to starvation, freezing and unforeseen accidents.
How Long Do White Tigers Live In Captivity?
White tigers live between 16 and 20 years in captivity, which is where all white tigers are located.
Today, there are no white tigers living in the wild and around 200 white tigers are in captivity in zoos, theme parks, and exotic pet collections. However, even though there are so few white tigers living in captivity, these mammals are not on the endangered list.
According to the World Wildlife Federation, white tigers are not a separate subspecies of tigers and the color of the white tiger’s fur is the result of a genetic mutation called leucism.
Scientific American reports, “Almost all of the white Bengals alive today are descended from a solitary male cub that was captured in 1951.” And, “No one knows how many centuries—quite possibly millennia—white tigers lived freely in their natural habitat before human hunters eradicated them.”
What Is the Lifespan of An Amur Tiger?
The average lifespan of an amur tiger is between 14 to 16 years in captivity and 10 to 14 years in the wild. However, some amur tigers have lived up to 20 years in zoos.
How Many Tigers Are Left In Zoos?
It is estimated that there are around 5,000 captive tigers in United States zoos with special care being taken by zoologists to increase the population of tigers in captivity.
At the Zoo, tigers are fed food like ground beef, knucklebones, cow femurs, and rabbits for nutrition as well as to exercise the tiger’s jaws and keep teeth healthy. Captive tigers need around 9 to 18 pounds of meat (4-6% of their body weight) to remain healthy and are fed about five times a week.
Learn More About Tigers
Now that you know more about tigers and how long they can live, you may also be interested in these other educational guides on these large cats:
Length of Time Tigers Live In Captivity Summary
You now know how long does a tiger live in captivity.
As you discovered in this guide, a tiger has an average lifespan of between 14 and 16 years in captivity, with the oldest living tiger on record being alive until it was 25 years old.
I’m the lead editor and writer for Animal Answer Guide. I enjoy sharing expert knowledge on the various characteristics of common species within the five distinct groups of animals: amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles.
