Panthera tigris

Probably the most majestic creatures to see in the wild are tigers. This species was found in various regions of the world like Java, Bali, Iran, and a lot of parts of central Asia, but slowly, due to poaching and loss of habitat, the tiger population has decreased so much that they are one of the endangered species on this planet. Now, the Siberian, and Sumatran tigers are being conserved in captivity. However, the tables are turning here in our country. In India, the Bengal tigers are now increasing so much that the National parks need to increase their territories to give their tigers the space they need.

After almost 10 years of doing wildlife safaris, I have been fortunate enough to have seen more than 40 tigers so far(including cubs). Seeing a tiger or a tigress so close that it almost feels unreal is an absolutely enchanting experience. My first sighting was in the Ranthambore national park, in Rajasthan. It was quite an experience but the sighting which really made me interested in tigers and their behaviour and characteristics was in Tadoba, as I mentioned in my first blog - “My Wildlife Journey”

Adult male tigers cover a huge territory, 40 square kms almost 140 football fields, and will protect it with its life. Tigers are not gender biased when it comes to marking their territories. When a tiger/tigress wants a territory they fight, and it’s absolutely ferocious. Many times the male cubs are killed by rival tigers to avoid future invaders. I have even heard and seen that the daughters usually in their prime age invade their mother’s territory and push her out. It’s just a part of life for them. The stronger you are, the more grand a tiger you are.

All the tigers I have seen so far have been absolutely gorgeous. Their grace, the look in their eyes, it’s all just so wonderful, that I can’t put it into words. But my favorite amongst all of them are the Maya and Matkasur pair of Tadoba. They are like the king and queen of the tigers here in India, and I have been lucky enough to see them. It’s not always that I see tigers in each and every safari, but our last trip, which was the Tadoba+Tippeshwar trip in 2020, was honestly a treat. We saw a total of eight tigers on that trip. That’s the most so far I have seen in one go.

Matkasur is one of the most dominant male known in the Tadoba National Park, and Maya his partner is the Queen. She herself is such a beauty that many people from all over the world and even Bollywood celebrities come to see them. In recent times Matkasur was thrown out of his territory and Maya was left alone with a litter of four cubs. Unfortunately her cubs were all killed/ couldn’t survive because of the male who threw Matka out.

Many people believe that we can’t distinguish between tigers. You see, birds have ABUNDANT ways to be distinguished, but not tigers. They all look similar, however through years and years of looking at pictures and studying each one properly, me and my father realised it actually quite possible to do so. Each tiger has a different pattern of stripes on them, and the female usually has a smaller face and body than the male. They even have different expressions and features on them which help in distinguishing further. For example, the most known tiger of Tadoba- Wagdoh/scarface, was and still is reputed to be the largest tiger in the forest. Maya has more of the white color on her face than orange. Another tiger- Bajarang has a prominent scar on his nose. If you can spot these little small things, you will easily be able to differentiate and recognise tigers.

Tigers are a symbol of strength in solitude, and couldn’t relate to them more. Due to the pandemic I haven’t been able to go to any National Parks this year, and I miss the mighty tigers. I hope I will get to go soon and say hello again to them. Lastly I would like to say, if you go to a wildlife sanctuary and don’t spot a tiger, don’t be upset. There are high chances the tiger might have spotted you. ;)

Thank you,

Love,

Tanisha.

Aranyani

Panthera tigris

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