How Long Do Tigers Live

Tiger is the largest cat specie and a fascinating animal for kids. It is well known for its strength and beautiful coat pattern. Kids love to read about them and in this page they are going to learn “How Long Do Tigers Live“. We have gathered interesting information about the Tiger Lifespan which will give you and your kids a complete idea about the number of years for which they can stay alive. We have listed down the average lifespan, lifespan in wild and captivity. You are also going to learn about the oldest tigers ever recorded and lifespan of the specific tiger species.

The lifespan of tigers depend on whether they live in captivity or in the wild.
They live for 20-25 years in captivity because of regular food supply, medical care and safety from most of the natural threats.
In the wild they can’t survive more than 15 years.

Table of Contents

1. Average Lifespan of a Tiger

The average lifespan of a tiger is up to 22 years in captivity.
This period in the wild is 10 to 15 years.

2. Oldest Tiger Ever

Guddu was the world’s oldest surviving male bengal tiger died at the age of 26 at Kanpur zoo, India.
Before Guddu, the record was held by Flavio and Ramu tigers, both died in the age of 24.
Machali tigress was considered the world’s oldest female tiger, died in the age of 20.
Shasta the Liger was believed the world’s oldest Liger (an offspring of female tiger and male lion) died at the age of 24.

3. How Long Do Bengal Tigers Live

The average lifespan of Bengal tigers in the wild is 8 to 10 years.
The maximum age of a wild Bengal tiger is 15 years.
But very few of them reach to this limit in the wild as finally they become too weak and lost the ability to hunt large animals.

How Long Do Bengal Tigers Live In Captivity

The maximum age of Bengal tigers in captivity is 18 to 20 years.
Very few of them reach beyond the age of 25.
Bengal tigers are one of the few wild animals species that flourish and thrive well in captivity.

4. How Long Do White Tigers Live

As White Tigers are extinct in the wild, there is uncertainty about their lifespan in the wild.
White tigers are the descendants of bengal tigers, so there is high possibility that they have lifespan like Bengal tigers.
In spite of that, some of the scientists believe that White tigers could have long age in the wild than Bengal tigers.
However, the average lifespan of white tigers is considered to be 10 to 12 years in the wild.

How Long Do White Tigers Live In Captivity

White tigers live up to 20 years in captivity.

Learn more: White Tiger Facts

5. How Long Do Siberian Tigers Live

The average lifespan of Siberian tigers is 15 to 17 years in the wild.
There lifespan in the wild mainly depend on the density of prey.
They live long, if the animals they hunt exist in greater number in their living territories.

How Long Do Siberian Tigers Live In Captivity

The Siberian tiger live for 20 to 25 years in captivity.

6. How Long Do Sumatran Tigers Live

The Sumatran tigers live for about 15 to 20 years in the wild.
This tiger subspecies was listed on the IUCN Red List in 2008 as Critically Endangered.
Due to the threats, most members of the Sumatran tiger subspecies do not cross their normal age limits in the wild.

How Long Do Sumatran Tigers Live in Captivity

The lifespan of Sumatran tigers is 20 to 25 years in captivity.

7. How Long Do Indochinese Tigers Live

The lifespan of Indochinese tigers also depends on whether they live in the wild or in captivity.
This tiger subspecies has also been listed on the IUCN Red List since 2008 as Critically Endangered, and is going to be extinct in the wild.
It is believed that they live for up to 15 years in the wild.

How Long Do Indochinese Tigers Live in Captivity

The age limit of Indochinese tigers in captivity is between 20 and 26 years.

8. How Long Do Malayan Tigers Live

In the wild, Malayan tiger live for 15 to 20 years.

How Long Do Malayan Tigers Live in Captivity

Malayan tigers live for 20 to 26 years in captivity.
Like Bengal tigers, the Malayan tigers are also seem to do well in captivity.

9. How Long Do South China Tigers Live

Of all the tigers subspecies, the South China tigers is the most endangered one.
Their lifespan in the wild is up to 15 years, however they are possibly extinct in the wild and no South China tiger has been recorded since 1970.

How Long Do South China Tigers Live in Captivity

South China tigers live for up to 20 years in captivity.

10. How Long Do Javan Tigers Live

Javan tiger is a tiger population that lived in the Java island of Indonesia.
Since 1970s they are extinct and nothing is known about their lifespan in captivity or in the wild.
However, it is believed that their lifespan was similar to that of the other tigers.

11. How Long Do Bali Tigers Live

Bali tiger is also an extinct population of tigers that lived in the Bali island of Indonesia.
It is believed that Bali tigers have had up to 10 years lifespan in the wild.

12. Lifespan Comparison Chart of Different Tiger Species

Tiger	Average Lifespan	Lifespan in the Wild	Lifespan in Captivity
Bengal Tiger	12 to 18 years	8 to 10 years	18 to 20 years
White Tiger	10 to 16 years	10 to 12 years	Upto 20 years
Siberian Tiger	15 to 17 years	15 to 17 years	20 to 25 years
Sumatran Tiger	15 to 20 years	15 to 20 years	20 to 25 years
Indochinese Tiger	15 to 20 years	Upto 15 years	20 to 26 years
Malayan Tiger	15 to 22 years	15 to 20 years	20 to 26 years
South China Tiger	15 to 20 years	12 to15 years	Upto 20 years
Javan Tiger	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Bali Tiger	Unknown	Upto 10 years	Unknown

READ How Long Do Lions Live - Lion Lifespan

Tiger Lifespan Comparison Chart With Other Wild Cats

S.No	Species	Average Lifespan in The Wild	Average Lifespan in Captivity	Recorded Lifespan
1	Tiger (Panthera Tigris)	8 to 10 years	15 to 20 years	15 years (in wild) 26 years (in captivity)
2	Lion (Panthera Leo)	10 to 16 years	20 to 25 years	29 years (in captivity)
3	Lynx (Lynx Lynx)	15 years	Upto 20 years	24 years (in captivity)
4	Jaguar (Panthera Onca)	12 to 15 years	Upto 23 years	23 years (in captivity)
5	Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)	15 to 18 years	15 to 21 years	22 years (in captivity)
6	Leopard (Panthera Pardus)	12 to 17 years	Upto 23 years	28 years (in captivity)
7	Clouded Leopard (Neofelis Nebulosa)	11 years	Upto 15 years	17 years (in captivity)
8	Canada Lynx (Lynx Canadensis)	10 to 12 years	Upto 14 years	15 years (in wild) 21 years (in captivity)
9	Iberian Lynx (Lynx Pardinus)	13 years	Unknown	Unknown
10	Chilean Cat or Kodkod (Oncifelis Guigna)	11 years	Upto 12 years	Unknown
11	Chinese Mountain Cat (Felis Bieti)	14 years	Unknown	Unknown
12	European Wild Cat (Felis Silvestris)	12 years	Upto 15 years	16 years (in captivity)
13	Fishing Cat (Prionailurus Viverrinus)	10 to 12 years	Upto 17 years	Unknown
14	Geoffroy Cat (Oncifelis Geoffroyi)	12 years	12 to 14 years	19 years (in captivity; still living)
15	Flat-Headed Cat (Prionailurus Planiceps)	Unknown	Unknown	14 years (in captivity)
16	Iriomote Cat (Prionailurus Bengalensis Iriomotensis)	7 to 8 years	8 to 9 years	15 years one month (in captivity)
17	Puma (Puma Concolor)	8 to 13 years	Upto 20 years	18 years (in the wild) 30 years (in captivity)
18	Red Lynx (Lynx Rufus)	6 to 8 years	Upto 25 years	16 years (in the wild) 34 years (in captivity)
19	Rusty-Spotted Cat (Prionailurus Rubiginosus)	Unknown	Upto 12 years	Unknown

20	Sand Cat (Felis Margarita)	8 to 10 years	Upto 13 years	14 years (in captivity)
21	Serval (Leptailurus Serval)	10 years	Upto 20 years	Unknown
22	Tiger Cat (Leopardus Tigrinus)	11 years	Unknown	17 years (in the wild)
23	Pampas Cat or Colo Colo (Oncifelis Colocolo)	9 years	10 to 12 years	16 years (in captivity)
24	Ocelot (Leopardus Pardalis)	7 to 10 years	Upto 20 years	21 years (in captivity)
25	Marbled Cat (Pardofelis Marmorata)	Unknown	Upto 12 years	Unknown
26	Manul or Pallas’ Cat (Otocolobus Manul)	8 to 10 years	Upto to 11 years	Unknown
27	Jungle Cat (Felis Chaus)	12 to 14 years	10 to 12 years	14 years (in captivity) 20 years (in the wild)
28	Jaguarundi (Herpailurus Yagouaroundi)	10 to 12 years	10 to 12 years	16 years (in captivity)
29	Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus)	10 to 12 years	Upto 17 years	14 years (in the wild) 18 years (in captivity)
30	Caracal (Caracal Caracal)	12 years	Upto 17 years	20 years (in captivity)
31	Borneo Clouded Leopard (Neofelis Diardi)	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
32	Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus Bengalensis)	Unknown	Upto 13 years	Unknown
33	Black -footed Cat (Felis Nigripes)	4 to 6 years	10 to 13 years	16 years (in captivity)
34	Asian Golden Cat (Catopuma Temminckii)	Unknown	Upto 20 years	Unknown
35	African Golden Cat (Profelis Aurata)	Unknown	Upto 12 years	Unknown
36	Domestic Cat (Felis Silvestris Catus)	Unknown	12 to 18 years	38 years
37	Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus Jacobita)	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown