Mammals of India
Written by Abin Alex and Anu Joseph.
Abstract
India's mammals reward the photographer who knows their habits. This guide names the main mammal subjects, places the big cats in the family Felidae, and reports the latest tiger estimates. It then explains how tigers, lions and leopards live, from cub timelines to pride structure and the black panther, and closes with the law and field rules for a park visit. Ten diagrams help you plan the moment before you press the shutter.
Keywords: Mammals of India; tiger; lion; leopard; wildlife photography
Which mammals are the main subjects in India?
Short answer. Big cats, hoofed mammals, primates and other carnivores.
- The course names these subjects: Bengal tiger, Indian elephant, nilgai, Asiatic lion, Indian rhinoceros, blackbuck, Indian leopard, gaur, Indian pangolin, sloth bear, chinkara, dhole, grey langur, Gee's golden langur, Nilgiri langur and lion-tailed macaque.
- Other common subjects are the golden jackal, grey mongoose, striped hyena, chital, sambar, barking deer and wild boar. Figure 1 groups them.
- Read the Introduction to Wildlife and Ecology guide first for classification, habitat and field rules.
Choose three mammals from the list. Find where each one can be photographed near you.
A wildlife film sequence often builds on a few chosen species.
Cham tipChoose subjects you can visit more than once.
Cham taskWrite a shoot list of three mammals and a reason for each.
Check yourself: Name three mammal groups.
Any of big cats, hoofed mammals, primates, other carnivores.
What is the big cat family?
Short answer. Felidae: tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard and cheetah.
- The big cats belong to the biological family Felidae. The five named in the course are tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard and cheetah (Figure 2).
- India's big cats in the wild include the tiger, lion and leopard. Each lives in a different habitat and behaves differently, as the next chapters show.
Place the five big cats in a classification ladder.
A film about cats needs the right habitat for each.
Cham tipLearn the family, then the species.
Cham taskWrite the Linnaean ladder for the tiger.
Check yourself: Which family do the big cats belong to?
Felidae.
How many tigers are there in India?
Short answer. About 3,682 on average in 2022, about 75 percent of the world total.
- Tiger counts are made every four years by the National Tiger Conservation Authority with analysis by the Wildlife Institute of India.
- The 2018 estimate was 2,967. The 2022 estimate, released on International Tiger Day, 29 July 2023, gave an average of 3,682, with an upper limit of 3,925. India holds about 75 percent of the world's tigers (Deccan Herald, 2023) (Figure 3).
- Tigers evolved into nine subspecies. Six are alive today, and the South China tiger is among the world's most endangered. The lecture's population figures for several subspecies are repeated from one slide, so check each against a current source before quoting.
Find the tiger count for one reserve near you. Compare it with the national figure.
Numbers give a documentary its stakes. Always cite them.
Cham tipCite the year with every number.
Cham taskWrite one caption that uses a tiger number and its source.
Check yourself: How often is the tiger census made?
Every four years.
How do tigers live?
Short answer. Solitary, territorial ambush predators, mostly active at night.
- Tigers are ambush predators. They are territorial and usually solitary, living together only during mating and while females raise young.
- They use body weight to knock prey down and kill with a bite to the neck. They mainly eat sambar, wild pigs, water buffalo and antelope.
- A litter is usually three or four cubs. Cubs follow the mother out of the den by eight weeks, become independent at about 18 months and leave their mother at about two and a half years (Figure 4).
- Tigers sleep 18 to 20 hours a day and are mainly active at night (Figure 5). They mark territory with sprayed scent and scratch marks on trees. Life span is 10 to 15 years in the wild.
List the signs of a tiger in a forest: scratch marks, scent, alarm calls. Which could you photograph?
Plan night work with the right lens and lighting permission.
Cham tipWait for the active hours.
Cham taskWrite a behaviour timetable for a tiger for one day.
Check yourself: How long does a tiger sleep?
Typically 18 to 20 hours a day.
How do lions live?
Short answer. In prides, with females hunting together and males defending territory.
- The lion is social and lives in groups called prides. A pride has a few adult males, related females and cubs (Figure 6). Females usually hunt together.
- Lions are territorial and keep the same area for generations. A roar is a territorial display that can be heard from at least 5 km. Territory size depends on prey and access to water.
- Lions spend about 20 hours a day inactive. Activity peaks after dusk, and hunting most often happens near dawn (Figure 7).
- The mane begins to grow at about a year. A darker mane is linked to injury recovery and higher offspring survival. The Asiatic lion is a subspecies of the lion, and Gujarat is the state that holds the Asiatic lion population according to the course lecture.
Describe a pride sequence in three shots: wide, medium, close.
Group behaviour is a natural three-shot story.
Cham tipDawn and dusk give both action and light.
Cham taskWrite a one-page note on how you would shoot a pride at dawn.
Check yourself: What is a lion group called?
A pride.
How do leopards live?
Short answer. Solitary, nocturnal climbers that store kills in trees.
- Leopards (Panthera pardus) are cunning, opportunistic hunters. Their diet follows prey availability, from carrion, fish and reptiles to rodents, hares, deer, antelope and baboons (Figure 8).
- They are strong climbers and hoist kills into branches to keep scavengers away. They are strong swimmers.
- They are predominantly nocturnal and solitary. Each has a home range that overlaps its neighbours, marked with urine and claw marks.
- A female usually has two or three cubs, hides them for the first eight weeks and keeps them for about two years. Average life is 10 to 12 years in the wild.
- Black panthers are leopards with a rare mutation called melanism (Figure 9). The course lists Kabini, Jawai Leopard Hill, Jim Corbett, Bhadra and Tadoba among places to see leopards.
Write three places to look for a leopard in a forest and why.
Low-light night work is a skill film crews and photographers share.
Cham tipLook up as well as ahead.
Cham taskPlan a visit to one of the named sanctuaries.
Check yourself: What is a black panther?
A leopard with melanism.
What rules apply when you photograph mammals?
Short answer. Follow park rules, protected species law and the field rules.
- Tiger, leopard and most large mammals are protected. The Bengal tiger is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which carries the strictest penalties (Drishti IAS, n.d.).
- Protected areas set their own entry, vehicle and photography rules. Check them with the forest department before you travel (Figure 10).
- Keep your distance, never bait and do not disturb dens or young. The full field rules are in the Introduction to Wildlife and Ecology guide.
Write a one-page visit plan for a reserve, including permits and rules.
A film permit works the same way: ask first.
Cham tipRules protect the animal and you.
Cham taskPrepare a complete permit checklist for one park.
Check yourself: Which schedule lists the Bengal tiger?
Schedule I.
Questions beginners ask
How many tigers are there in India?
The 2022 estimate gave an average of 3,682 tigers, with an upper limit of 3,925, about 75 percent of the world total.
How long do tigers sleep?
Typically 18 to 20 hours a day, and they are mainly active at night.
What is a lion pride?
A social group of a few adult males, related females and cubs.
What is a black panther?
A leopard with a rare mutation called melanism that makes it appear black.
Is the Bengal tiger a protected species in India?
Yes. It is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which carries the strictest penalties.
References
- Deccan Herald (2023) 'India has 3682 tigers, home to 75 per cent of global numbers', 29 July. Available at: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-has-3682-tigers-home-to-75-per-cent-of-global-numbers-1241983.html (Accessed: 1 November 2026).
- Drishti IAS (n.d.) Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972. Available at: https://www.drishtiias.com/printpdf/wildlife-protection-act-wpa-1972 (Accessed: 1 November 2026).
How to cite this guide. Alex, A., & Joseph, A. (2026). mammals of India: A guide for photographers and cinematographers. Creative Hut Academy. https://creativehut.org/library/mammals-of-india/
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