Tigers hunting and killing large pachyderms

[parvez]

(09-05-2018, 09:30 AM)Vegeta San Wrote: Thanks for starting this thread @brotherbear!

Here's a list of 100% legit, confirmed records of tigers killing adult Elephants and Rhinos, including Bulls. (Chronological order) Even some accounts of tigers mauling and severely injuring adult Elephants.

BENGAL TIGER ON ADULT RHINO KILL

*This image is copyright of its original author

Wildlife photography is not only about beautiful birds and lovable mammals. And Tiger is not a cuddly pussycat who you pet at home. However adorable and graceful it may look, Tiger is actually a lethal killing machine and the top predator in its habitat. All animals, big and small, are prone to become food of the Tiger.

In the forests of Assam, this Male Tiger at its prime killed an adult rhino, four or five times its own weight, that was grazing in a swamp and was in a relatively vulnerable position. The tiger sprang on to the top of the rhino from the higher bank of the swamp and broke the rhino’s neck before it could put up much of a fight! The tiger then gorged himself with its prize prey allowing many images and poses.

A few events in the forest are truly unforgettable and rank as rarest of the rare! This is one of them.

On this International Tiger Day, let us all take a solemn pledge to do our best to save the wild tigers of India and their habitats under threat.

Assam
India
Credit to Rajarshi Banerji

2018

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Breaking the neck of rhino seems almost impossible. But the authorities confirm the neck was broken. I did some research into this. The neck has 3 folds of skin and very thick. 

*This image is copyright of its original author

The cervical vertebrae are also very thick to be able to break and reach the spinal cord, 

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

hence i doubt whether the tiger kills by severing the spinal cord, the dimensions of these cervical vertebrae may be slightly lesser in gaurs but severing the bone(muscle in my opinion no way it is bone) in way less than a minute is something remarkable and incredible achievement. Breaking the neck means breaking the muscle and reaching the arteries. Even this task is no easy. Thats why i say bite force of tiger is something very unreachable for other carnivores. Reply