A wild male Bengal tiger weighs about 220 kg (480 lb), and a female about 140 kg (300 lb), according to SeaWorld’s tiger guide. The biggest males reach about 295 kg (650 lb), says San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. So a big male Bengal tiger weighs as much as three grown men.
This page is about the Bengal tiger, the tiger of India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. For every kind of tiger side by side, and for the famous record claims, see our main page on how much a tiger weighs.
How much does a Bengal tiger weigh at each age?
A Bengal tiger starts life tiny. Cubs weigh about 1 kg (2.2 lb) at birth, about the same as a bag of sugar, says San Diego Zoo. Tigers become adults at 3 to 6 years old. By then a male has grown about 220 times heavier than the day he was born.
| Stage | Typical weight | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn cub | 1 kg (2.2 lb) | San Diego Zoo (all tigers) |
| Adult female | About 140 kg (300 lb) | SeaWorld |
| Adult male | About 220 kg (480 lb) | SeaWorld |
| Largest males | Up to 295 kg (650 lb) | San Diego Zoo |
| One big meal | Up to 34 kg (75 lb) of meat in a night | Smithsonian’s National Zoo (all tigers) |
These are typical values, not limits. A tiger’s weight goes up and down with its meals, its age and how much prey lives in its forest. A thin tiger in a hard year can weigh far less than the average.
How much does a male Bengal tiger weigh compared with a female?
A male Bengal tiger weighs about 80 kg (180 lb) more than a female. That gap is about the weight of an adult man. Males are also longer: about 2.9 m (9.5 ft) from nose to tail tip, against 2.5 m (8 ft) for females, SeaWorld says. San Diego Zoo gives up to 3.2 m (10.5 ft) for the longest males.
Why the difference? Male tigers hold large areas and fight other males for them, so a bigger body helps. Females need to feed cubs and move through thick forest, and a lighter body needs less food. The result is that females are the more common tigers in the 100 to 170 kg range.
Are Bengal tigers the biggest tigers?
Bengal tigers are among the heaviest, but they are not always the biggest. Amur tigers from Russia’s Far East can reach 300 kg (660 lb), according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Sumatran tigers, which live on an island, top out at about 140 kg (310 lb). The table compares typical males.
| Cat | Male weight | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bengal tiger | About 220 kg (480 lb); up to 295 kg (650 lb) | SeaWorld; San Diego Zoo |
| Amur (Siberian) tiger | Up to 300 kg (660 lb) | Smithsonian’s National Zoo |
| Sumatran tiger | Up to 120 to 140 kg (265 to 310 lb) | SeaWorld; Smithsonian |
| African lion | 150 to 260 kg (330 to 570 lb) | San Diego Zoo |
In real life, a well-fed Bengal male and an Amur male can weigh about the same. Amur tigers look bigger in winter because of their long, thick fur. Our page on how big a Siberian tiger is covers the Amur side of this story.
Scientists have also changed how they group tigers. Some now put all mainland Asian tigers, Bengal and Amur included, into one subspecies. So when you read that one kind is heavier, remember that the names are partly about where a tiger lives.
Why do some websites say Bengal tigers weigh 300 kg or more?
Most very high weights come from hunting trips long ago, not from careful science. A tiger that has just eaten can carry 34 kg (75 lb) of meat in its stomach, the Smithsonian says. Weigh it then, and it looks far heavier than it really is. Some old weights were guessed and never put on a scale.
The best numbers come from zoos and from wild tigers that scientists sedate to fit tracking collars. These give the typical 220 kg for males. When you see a claim above 300 kg, ask who weighed the tiger, when, and whether it had just eaten. The main tiger weight page rates each famous record claim.
What does a Bengal tiger eat to stay so heavy?
A heavy tiger needs big prey. Tigers mainly hunt deer and wild pigs, and can take wild cattle called gaur, which weigh up to 1,500 kg (3,300 lb), says Panthera, the wild cat charity. A tiger does not eat every day. It may eat a lot at once, then go days without food.
That feast-and-wait pattern is another reason one tiger’s weight can change a lot in a week. For more on the menu, read what Bengal tigers eat.
Are Bengal tigers endangered?
Yes. The tiger is listed as Endangered, and Panthera estimates about 4,500 wild tigers remain across Asia. India holds more wild tigers than any other country. The National Geographic report on India’s 2010 count gave a maximum of 1,909 tigers, about half the world’s total at the time.
Losing prey and forest makes tigers thinner and fewer. You can read why in why Bengal tigers are endangered, and see their range in where Bengal tigers live.
Quick facts: Bengal tiger weight
- Adult male: about 220 kg (480 lb), up to about 295 kg (650 lb).
- Adult female: about 140 kg (300 lb).
- Newborn cub: about 1 kg (2.2 lb).
- Length of a male: about 2.9 m (9.5 ft), tail included.
- A male weighs about as much as three adult men.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Bengal tiger cub weigh at birth?
A tiger cub weighs about 1 kg (2.2 lb) at birth, according to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. That is about the weight of a bag of sugar. Cubs are born blind and stay with their mother for about two years while they grow and learn to hunt.
Is a Bengal tiger heavier than a lion?
Usually, but not by much. A male Bengal tiger weighs about 220 kg (480 lb), while male African lions weigh 150 to 260 kg (330 to 570 lb), says San Diego Zoo. So a big lion can outweigh a small tiger. On average, though, tigers are the heavier cat.
What is the heaviest Bengal tiger ever recorded?
San Diego Zoo gives up to 295 kg (650 lb) for large Bengal males. Heavier claims exist, but most come from old hunting records or zoo tigers, and many were never checked. Our main tiger weight page lists the famous claims and how reliable each one is.
How long is a Bengal tiger?
A male Bengal tiger measures about 2.9 m (9.5 ft) from nose to tail tip, and a female about 2.5 m (8 ft), according to SeaWorld. The tail alone is about 1 m (3 ft) long. The longest males reach about 3.2 m (10.5 ft).
Sources
- SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. Tiger: physical characteristics.
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Tiger.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Tiger.
- Panthera. Tiger.
- National Geographic. Tigers: can they survive?.
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Lion.
Sources checked 15 September 2026.
Keep the conversation curious