Vega Tigers are herbivores and are the only species of tiger that do not eat meat. Vega Tigers are most recognizable by their dark stripe patterns, diet, and its size. Their closest relative is the Bengal Tiger, however certain characteristics make Vega Tigers distinguishable from their relatives. The Vega Tiger’s diet consists entirely of berries and vegetation that is native to their habitat. The stripe patterns of Vega Tigers run horizontal across its body, whereas Bengal Tiger’s stripes are vertical. In comparison, an average male Bengal Tiger weighs 650 pounds and is about 11 feet long. The average male Vega Tiger weighs 400 pounds and is 8 feet in length.
The first instance of this species was discovered in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans is an area located in between Bangladesh and India. In 1973, a British explorer, Watson Williamson and biologist, Elizabeth Carrington, spotted what they believed was an average Bengal tiger. They did notice that this particular tiger was smaller than average and that it had a different stripe pattern than the average Bengal. They decided to conduct a naturalistic observation from afar. Their suspicions arose when the tiger began to gather an abundance of berries to eat. To this point, every species of tiger discovered were known carnivores.
They embarked on a three year observation of this species and discovered that there was an entire population of Vega Tigers living in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans. Carrington also noticed that there was a scarce amount of carnivores in these forests. Carrington came to the conclusion that normal Bengal tigers used to inhabit the land, but the habitat was not sufficient enough for these carnivorous tigers to survive. She theorized that “some of the Bengal Tigers began to eat a herbivorous diet in order to live and over time, through natural selection, these herbivorous tigers were the only ones with the capability to survive in this area.” This is a direct quote taken from Carrington's journals, written during their three year naturalistic observation.
Currently, the Vega Tigers are an endangered species due to poaching and habitat loss.