Tiger stalking in Corbett

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Tiger Stalking. This image was recorded many years ago in Corbett. I was fortunate to watch how a tiger takes its time to stalk. It doesn't rush and attack. Our pehelwans think that since they have brute force they can just go straight and attack. However the tiger, despite being immensely powerful, takes its own time to calculate and recalculate the possibility of success in bringing down its prey and only after it is fully convinced of success it attacks. Even then it fails many times. And many times it abandons the stalk and takes a different route. At times it abandons the stalk altogether. The tiger doesn't have ego that it couldn't bring down a particular Sambar. For the tiger killing a prey is just routine work solely for survival. Unlike humans it doesn't take it as an ego.

EOS 10D, ISO 100, f5.6, 1/350, Canon 300mm f4 plus Sigma 1.4x (420mm), full frame image.

for details about tiger intelligence check this article: https://www.indiawilds.com/diary/tiger-intelligence/

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Calm, cool and calculated. Has chosen a slightly raised observation platform. The photograph is a vivid story on tiger's behaviour. Different naturalists working in jungles each having unique diversity, have roughly guessed the success rate varying from 1:20 to at best 1: 10.
Our tiger is a 'Haradhan' in Bengali. Haradhan made 19 attempts to pass matriculation ( std.10) but could not succeed. He then stopped, but the tiger will make 20 th. attempt and may be successful.

Thanks for sharing. SaktiWild

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

One change :
'Gangaram' in place of 'Haradhan' .

[Mrudul Godbole]

So much to learn from this behaviour and it comes so naturally to the tiger. Nicely explained by Saktida.

Liked the display of habitat and the composition. Thanks for sharing.

[Shyamala Kumar]

Nice image bringing to mind the cunning sher khans of Corbett's jungle tales .Thanks for sharing.

[Sandipan Ghosh]

feel the thrill...excellent shot

[Roshni Patel]

Very nice shot

[Murugan Anantharaman]

Lovely image of the stalking tiger, Sabyasachi. The strength of the tiger is evident, the muscular shoulder and legs are testimony that one swipe is enough to bring down biggest of prey. Yet the gentlemen that the tiger is, gracefully respects and kills only when hungry. Thanks for sharing.