When a Tigress Hunts

All the odds are stacked up against it. The smell of the body is very strong, and the wind carries it. The moment it reaches the prey, they bolt away. The deer are sleek and have slender legs. They run faster than the Tigress.?The Tigress must move against the wind so that the prey does not get a hint.

The Langurs sitting on top of the trees are constantly on the lookout. The moment they spot the movement of the Tigress, they start giving ‘calls’ to alert every other animal. The entire forest reverberates with the cries of the Langur and everyone knows where the Tigress it. The Tigress must hide well before the hunt.

The smaller deer, the ones with no scratches on their skins yet, are easy for the Tigress to hunt. But the amount of effort spent in hunting it and the food would not suffice for the three cubs and herself. The Tigress must carefully choose the prey that would provide sufficient food for a day or two.

The group of the spotted deer was lazily grazing. The Tigress stood still, hiding in the tall grass. A langur called out loud, the deer got alert, its small tail up, the hooves tapping the ground, and looking intently at the tall grass. The whole herd was cautious.

The Tigress rushed out from the tall grass towards the herd. The langurs gave awful cries. Tigress leapt forward and raced towards the large male. The deer herd bolted all in different directions. The large male went towards the thicket. It knew that the Tigress would find it difficult to pursue in the bushes.

The Tigress noticed a fawn separated from the rest of the herd. It was small, a few weeks old. An easy catch she thought and would suffice for the cubs. But every hunting expedition for her meant leaving the cubs alone and exposing them to the risk of being attacked by other predators. She decided to wait there for a while. The langurs had given away her position. She had to hunt today as it was two days since the cubs had had their last food.

She decided to wait in the ridge for the next herd and from there she could keep a watch at her den, where the cubs were sleeping, playing and hopefully not venturing out. The youngest of her three cubs was the most adventurous one and a constant worry for her. The jungle is not a safe place for anyone vulnerable.

The Sambar deer family was coming towards the area. The large male would be strong and difficult to hunt. It would provide them with a week of food but in the fight if she hurt herself, the dependent cubs would go hungry. She should not be adventurous now. She had to choose properly and decide the right time and the right prey.

Saugata Nandi???June 4th, 2023