DHAKA, Bangladesh, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said tigers in the Sundarbans forests of Bangladesh weigh about half as much as Bengal tigers in other areas.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service research, carried out by the University of Minnesota and the Bangladesh Forest Department, found the average female Sunderbans tiger weighs 170 pounds, compared to 304 pounds for other wild Bengal tigers in South Asia, the BBC reported Friday.
Adam Barlow, a co-author of the research, said the team is unsure of the cause behind the comparative smallness of the tigers.
"This could be related to the small size of deer available to tigers in the Sundarbans, compared to the larger deer and other prey available to tigers in other parts," he said.
The team said the Sundarbans tigers could be among the smallest tigers in the world.
