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Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India. Note the tick under the eye.
Wild Cats - Part 5
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| India has 14 species of wild cats - more than any other country. Most of them either live in remote border areas, or are shy and difficult to see, but three big species - tiger, leopard and lion - are a lucky exception. Bengal tiger is by far the most popular tourist attraction in India. |
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Hunting tiger, Corbett National Park, Uttarkhand, India.
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Hunting tiger, Corbett National Park. |
Some National parks of India have the highest density of tiger population in the world: up to 1 per 5 sq. km in Bandhavgarh and Kanha, Madhya Pradesh. Most of the parks are run Kenyan-style: you have to take an overpriced and overcrowded jeep ride, or to sneak in illegally. Which is a better way to see wildlife (it is mostly nocturnal and stays away from tourists), but can be dangerous: there is some risk of being caught by park guards, or eaten by the cats. |
Hunting tiger, Corbett National Park. |
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| Bengal tiger, Kanha National Park. |
Bengal tiger at sunset, Corbett National Park. |
This lady (above and below) chased me up a tree, and was very upset when I used a stick to stop her from climbing. |
Gaur (Bos gaurus), Kanha National Park. |
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Bengal tiger, Kanha National Park.
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Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), Sultanpur Nat'l Park. |
In less crowded parks such as Pench or Corbett, you can often watch tigers hunt - a truly fascinating sight! |
Nilgai antelopes, Sultanpur National Park, Harayana. |
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Tiger stalking a sambar deer (Cervus unicolor), Corbett National Park.
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Nilgai, Keoladeo Ghana Nat'l Park, Rajasthan. |
They hunt many animals, from birds to young elephants. Sambar deer and wild boar are often the favorites. |
Spotted deer (C. axis), Pench Nat'l Park, Madhya Pradesh. |
Wild boars (Sus scrofa), Kanha National Park. |
Barasinga deer (C. duvaicelli), Kanha National Park. |
Mating leopards, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Indian leopard (P. pardus fusca) is common in many parts of India, but not so easy to see. |
Mating leopards, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Lion track, Sasan Gir Nat'l Park, Gujarat. |
Tiger tracks, Corbett National Park. |
Leopard track, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Mating leopards, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Try parks with no tigers. Leopards are usually more strictly nocturnal than tigers and lions. |
Mating leopards, Sasan Gir National Park. |
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| Mating leopards, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Male leopard, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Their favorite prey is the spotted deer, but they hunt all kinds of animals, and still kill people almost every year. |
Female leopard, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Spotted deer, Corbett national Park. |
Spotted deer killed by a leopard, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Asiatic lion, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Asiatic lion (P. leo persica) has once ranged from Greece to Central India. Now it only lives in one large National park in Gujarat. These lions are rather tame and easy to see. Local people are much more afraid of leopards. |
Asiatic lion, Sasan Gir National Park. |
Asiatic lions, Sasan Gir National Park.
Back to Part Four
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