ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)

[peter]

OUR TIGERS -  a documentary about rewilding two tigresses in the heart of Wild Sweden

After seeing the Swedish documentary recently posted by Pantherinae on another thread, I remembered a documentary by the same Swedish filmmaker I saw on the Dutch television a long time ago, called 'Our Tigers'.

I only found this very short clip, as the film he and his wife made isn't on the internet. A pity. Although it was a film about two captive Indian tigresses raised to adulthood in Sweden, it possibly was the most informing documentary on tigers I saw. And I saw many. The reason is they saw and documented nearly everything of interest.

When the tigresses were nearly adult, their contact in India told them the plan to rewild them in India had been aborted. A pity, as they were trained to be independant, wild tigresses. Both tigresses were then sent to a Swedish zoo. The last part of the (very long) documentary is about the introduction of the tigresses in the zoo. 

In the zoo, they faced an older tigress with cubs. She didn't accept them and told them. Anyone interested in what walking next to each other really means, should try to get his hands on the documentary. Same for the interpretation of fights. Jan Lindblad and his wife Pia, when the tigresses were sent to the Swedish zoo, had become true experts on tiger behaviour. They knew everything about the real meaning of interaction.

The tigresses were close to or just over 300 pounds empty when they were sent to the zoo (they were weighed). The older tigress in the zoo was both longer and taller, but not as robust. She fought well, but one of the two tigresses was able to answer all questions asked. 

What was the effect of the training they had? Well, for one thing, their paws were larger and stronger than those of the adult male, who was about 200 kg. (just before they were introduced, he was a trifle over that mark). Both tigresses also were very powerful animals, able to defend themselves against more than one adult. In the end, this made a difference. The difference between wild and captive in tigers, like I said before, is staggering. One is a fit athlete, whereas the other often is a misfit, completely out of place. The zoo male, by the way, tried to stop the fights between his female and the new tigresses nearly every time. The reason is they were intense fights.     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkau8Kt5IJ4

The athmoshere in the clip is as fascinating as I remembered. Also remember both tigresses, even when they were adult, never showed the remotest sign of fear or protest against their adopted 'parents'. I'm not saying everything you hear and read about captive tigers (or other big cats, for that matter) is close to garbage, but remember that those who have experience with captive big cats will never get as close to them as the Lindblads did for over three years (I only know of two others). The Lindblads were the only humans they saw. What I remember is the tigresses were intelligent, eager learners and very close to their parents. As close as humans can get to each other. And then some. In a different way, but as close for sure.   

I think I know where they were raised to adulthood. I visited a place not that far away for many years. It had at least one bear and a wolf family. I know they visited us. Although we were treated with great respect, they didn't survive humans in the end. The bear was shot and all wolves (male, female and ciubs), although they featured in a BBC-documentary, were killed as well. A great pity. Happened in the eighties of the last century.  

Anyhow. Enjoy the minute and a half. Reply