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

[peter]

A TIGRESS KILLED BY AN OLD MALE TIGER - A LETTER IN THE JBNHS

a - the letter

In the first half of the letter, a short (6.6) and stocky male leopard features. He killed and partly ate a younger male near a kill. It is about the second half of the letter, in which Montresor quoted from a letter sent to him from a shooting camp in May 1904.

The party had shot a big, old male tiger who hadn't seen a dentist in a long time. The reason was age: he had hardly anything left to replace. In spite of this problem, he did ok. According to Miquelle, canines are not needed to flourish in wild tigers. 

On that fateful day in May 1904, the old tiger was shot. He was long (9.8 'between pegs') and very heavy (they needed 12 men to move him). When pictures of the old brute were taken, remains of a young tigress were found not far away. She had evidently been killed by him. Although badly scratched and bitten, he had strangled her and later eaten a part of her.


b - courtship in captive and wild big cats

Although most are prepared to fight for access to a female in heat, not all male big cats are interested in females. Old males in particular can be dangerous. Those interested seem to need experience. At times, females are killed during courtship. Most females were killed by overenthousiastic young adult males. Males courting a female don't like intruders and can react very aggressively. The aggression at times is directed at females. 

Experienced females seem to be able to distinguish between dangerous males and others. I've seen tigresses act very aggressively towards some male tigers and not others. Not without reason, I'd say. Captive male jaguars and leopards at times also kill captive females, but captive male lions seem to have a clean sheet.

Lionesses seem to prefer an experienced old male over a young adult. There's a famous, and true, story about a group of captive lionesses who chased every male the keepers introduced. After many deceptions, the keepers were desperate. In the end, they send a very old male in. At 17, he was in terrible shape. To the amazement of all, he was accepted. When he walked, the lionesses had to support him. They also chewed his food for him (...). All keepers thought he could perish every day, but the lionesses had been right after all: in the ring, he had no equal. The group of lionesses became a pride and it seems the old man got to twenty.

I've notived more than once that captive old male lions are quite popular with lionesses. Not so in tigers. Most old males are unreliable and have a terrible temper. Tigresses seem to know an, for this reason, prefer young adult males over old men. With good reason:
               
         

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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