Panthera tigris, aka the Tiger, is an apex predator that is truly magnificent in its hunting efficiency. This deadly carnivore is a virtual killing machine, with its powerful jaws, razor sharp teeth and stealth hunting techniques giving it the edge over prey both large and small. No other animal is safe when in their sights and, depending on habitat, their diet consists of everything from small birds and reptiles right up to rhinoceros and even elephants.
For anyone planning to participate in an organised Tiger tour to the Indian subcontinent, an encounter with this enigmatic big cat can be made even more memorable by learning more about its characteristics and behaviours.
Diet, Feeding and Hunting Behaviours
As in every other aspect of their lives, these big cats are solitary hunters and prefer to hunt under cover of darkness between dusk and dawn. They are masters of camouflage, their distinctive stripes enabling them to blend into long grasses and forest foliage. Even though they possess impressive strength and stealth, they don’t have a great deal of endurance, so they need to ensure they get close before making their move. They are also opportunistic, choosing old, young or weak prey sources to negate the ability for escape. Once spotted, they will patiently stalk their prey, waiting for the perfect opportunity to ambush them – most often coming in from the side or the rear to optimise the element of surprise.
For large prey, a bite to the throat is the preferred method of killing, before using their powerful forelegs to bring the animal down and snapping the spinal cord with their massive canine teeth. For smaller prey, they will crush the skull with one swift crunch or even sideswipe it with a giant paw, stunning it into oblivion.
Once the kill is complete, they will usually drag it off into some undergrowth or the privacy of a quiet setting in which to consume their quarry in peace. While they are constantly on the hunt and must eat as often as possible, they can go up to two weeks without eating. When they do, though, they consume huge amounts of meat to make up for it – eating up to 150kg per month.
Small prey: While their preference is for larger prey, they are almost indiscriminate in their choice of living food sources. Depending on the habitat they will eat birds, fish (they are extremely competent swimmers), monkeys, frogs, crabs, lizards, snakes, rodents, porcupines and even insects if necessary.
Medium and large prey: Fearless and predatory, the big cat has no qualms about going in for the kill on larger prey species, including (again, dependent on habitat) rhinoceros, elephant, water buffaloes, bears, bison, crocodiles, tapirs and, incredibly, sometimes Leopards. In habitats like Siberia and the Indian subcontinent, the animal’s most favoured prey is the numerous species of deer, wild boar and pigs.
Close Encounters on a Tiger Tour
For nature lovers, a Tiger tour is one of the most aspirational wildlife travel experiences on offer. A visit to one or more of the excellent nature reserves in the Indian subcontinent affords participants the opportunity for some memorable encounters with this elusive and (still) mysterious wild animal.
Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer with a special interest in Tiger watching. As a passionate lover of wildlife, Marissa chooses the expert-led Tiger tour itineraries organised by Naturetrek, which have brought her unforgettable sightings of a wide range of species in some of the most spectacular regions on Earth.
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