Modern weights and measurements on wild tigers

[abhisingh7]

(10-13-2022, 07:22 PM)Pckts Wrote:

(10-13-2022, 07:08 PM)abhisingh7 Wrote:

(10-13-2022, 05:28 AM)Pckts Wrote:

(10-13-2022, 04:32 AM)Ashutosh Wrote: @Pckts, you keep talking about Branders mentioning different sizes in sal and mixed forest, but you keep leaving out context. Context of persecution of wildlife. Sal forests have always been much better preserved and were given preferential treatment during the colonial/maharaja days.

So, Brander doing his research in the 70s had a very different landscape to work in. One of the largest tigers EVER killed was the Palamu tiger shot whose skull is easily the biggest I have seen. That male was not from a Sal forest.

If you dig through history of central India, you will see how British incentivised/threatened the local gond tribes to cut down their own forests and inviolate spaces. You talk about how certain areas of Pench have gotten tigers because of artificial waterholes, well, this exploitation on a massive scale is the reason. You cut down trees and waterholes dry up instantly.

Nagzira, Pench, Satpura and Kanha were part of one big forest not even 150 years ago. While Kanha was to be a hunting lodge, the other forests were seen as a resource and an inconvenience including everything living in it. Kanha remained pristine whereas others withered away. And, when Branders did his research these forests were still recovering (they still are but are much healthier) whereas Kanha while not perfect was always much better placed ecologically speaking (hunting aside).

The results of that conservation was reflected in the last tiger census which clearly concluded that Pench had a better biomass/area ratio than Kanha with a higher density for all herbivores (except Barasingha which are only found in Kanha) and boars.

There is no “context” because none of that has been mentioned nor proven. Hunting occurred all throughout india, Kanha included.
Not only that but you like to say the largest tigers on earth live in the Terai arc which was probably one of the most heavily hunted locations on earth. Tigers are larger in Kanha compared to Tadoba because of the differences I’ve mentioned numerous times. 

In regards to the census, we’ve already gone over it and Kanha has many more large herbivores than Pench which far outcontribute to a Tigers diet.
Pench tigers showed almost no Gaur in their scat samples while for Kanha Tigers Prey on Gaur regularly. Pench has a high number of small animals while Kanha has much more Gaur and larger prey in general which contributes to the high prey biomass weight.
Chital for instance made up 90% of the ungulate density biomass in Pench while they only made up 33% for Kanha.
And then the areas where very different, only 61 km2  for Pench with specified noticeable differences in density between core and buffer areas.
Add on top Kanha  being cooler with more water, larger and higher Tiger density.
You always seem to bring up Pench but the discussion was about Tadoba but Pench is no different, it’ll certainly produce larger cats than tadoba but there’s no reason it’ll produce larger than Kanha.

Records: Sal vs Mixed/Teak
The largest Tiger ever recorded Tiger lived in a Sal Forest, the largest modern day Tiger came from a Sal forest, the largest sub adults and adults have come from a Sal forest. 
Modern day experts, experts from the past and the casual naturalist all say the same. There is no debate here.

Higher Tiger density
More prey
More large prey
Cooler temps
More rain
Elevated hills
Eye witness accounts
Measurements 

What else can really be shown to convince someone who’s never seen it? 


I remember you saying you were going to go at some point, I really look forward to that and to hear your opinions then.

corbett have beautiful mota sal trees ...........this male looks exceptionally long .

Most of the Terai arc has Sal forests.
Assam, Nepal etc all have Sal.
This also coincides with the locations that most of us here consider to hold the largest Tigers on earth.

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