The sexual reproductive phase of a tiger’s life cycle results in the birth of cubs. Within two and a half years, the cubs reach adulthood and become tigers. Tigers can live up to 20 years in captivity and about 15 years in the wild.

The biggest members of the cat family are tigers. Being solitary creatures, they only interact with other individuals of their species when they are young or getting ready to mate. They reproduce sexually, like the majority of mammals. A female who is ready to mate marks her scent with urine and emits loud vocalisations to entice a partner. Males and females mate for a few days before breaking up. The fertilised egg takes 100 to 112 days to mature.

Typically, there are three or four cubs in each litter. Because they are born blind, tiger cubs are very dependent on their moms. They continue to live with their mothers for up to 2.5 years after they have nursed for six months. In the wild, just 50 percent of cubs survive to adulthood. When they become adults, they gradually become more independent and eventually depart to live by themselves. However, the majority of young adult tigers do not make it through the change to independence. Tigers typically mate every two years as adults.