Van Vai's Cubs

[Anand Madabhushi]

Bandhavgarh. Elephant Back. Van Vai's three cubs. The head of one more cub and ear of the third cub can also be seen in the BG.

1/100; f5; ISO 400; 70-300@170;

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Nice image.An image of sheer innocence but with apprehension .I have my strong feeling about allowing tourists on elephant back close to such tiny cubs for 'Tiger Show'.I know some Field Directors did not give permission in other T.R.s in a similar situation.When there are more number of cubs,danger increases manifold.Just think what is going to happen at dusk,she cannot move to a far away place during the day. The mother has to conceal three cubs and go for hunting.Their presence is being so much advertised.Other predators are lurking. God bless the cubs and the proud mother.Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild

[Praveen Siddannavar]

Nice image of these innocent cubs, I am in full agreement with Sakti ji's comments.
tfs

[Anand Madabhushi]

Saktida

I appreciate your concerns and views on the practice called Tiger Show.

You should see to believe the obnoxious behavior of some VIPs who are taken on the elephant back.

I have a feeling that the Tiger Show to the tourists is a camouflage for the special show to the VIPs. Tourists are taken only after VIPs.

Regards

Anand



Nice image.An image of sheer innocence but with apprehension .I have my strong feeling about allowing tourists on elephant back close to such tiny cubs for 'Tiger Show'.I know some Field Directors did not give permission in other T.R.s in a similar situation.When there are more number of cubs,danger increases manifold.Just think what is going to happen at dusk,she cannot move to a far away place during the day. The mother has to conceal three cubs and go for hunting.Their presence is being so much advertised.Other predators are lurking. God bless the cubs and the proud mother.Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild

[Mrudul Godbole]

Sighting tiger cubs is very rare. Lovely eye contact. Its good you could get the eyes in clear. I think the image looks a bit underexposed, do check the histogram to see if the graph is more to the left. Also some more space at the bottom would have been good. Were lot of tourists going to see the cubs? I am not very keen on tiger shows, as I have seen the elephants taken quite close to the tiger and even annoying it lot of times. Taking elephants close to cubs is really not a good thing :(. Thanks for sharing.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I agree with the previous comments. There are too many vested interests to keep the tiger show running. The tour operators have to show a tiger to get their clients happy.

[Anand Madabhushi]

Mrudul,

When we reached the spot, it was evident from the mahouts that the searches for the tigress feeding on the kill (and the cubs) were for the benefit of some VIPs. The presence of tourists was incidental ---- leading to the show. Initially we were the first but were given to understand that there was no "show". On our return from sighting Bamera we noticed the VIPs being taken and later the tourists. I took the bait, to see a tigress feeding on a kill. She was in deep shadows and could only see and not photograph.

And, the anxiety of Mahouts to be tipped takes the cake :-)

Anand


Sighting tiger cubs is very rare. Lovely eye contact. Its good you could get the eyes in clear. I think the image looks a bit underexposed, do check the histogram to see if the graph is more to the left. Also some more space at the bottom would have been good. Were lot of tourists going to see the cubs? I am not very keen on tiger shows, as I have seen the elephants taken quite close to the tiger and even annoying it lot of times. Taking elephants close to cubs is really not a good thing :(. Thanks for sharing.