The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)

[phatio]

The story to photograph a wild sumatran tiger

We already know how difficult it is to capture a tiger in the wild on camera, especially the siberian and sumatran tiger.
I remember reading a story from the indonesian blog of how hard to capture a wild sumatran tigers on camera.
the only solution is by using the camera trap. ok, here i try to translate it for you guys.

at first, they (including the blog writer) wants to photograph wild elephant.
so they set up a tree house next to the 'natural road' where they believe wild elephants usually using it.
and they didn't disappoint. at day 1, a group of elephants crossing that road.
when the large herbivore near by, they need to keep silent. A group of angry or panic elephants means trouble. Big trouble.
Angry elephant will break tree branches and throw it into random directions.
the last thing you want is to get hit, especially when you are high up in a tree.
so they understand completely not to underestimate the force of 15-20 wild elephants below them.
here's the pictures they got.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Mission 1 accomplished. the next target is wild tiger.
they set up a camera trap with a goat in a cage as a live bait to attract the sumatran predator.
that night they didn't sleep. They were watching and waiting from the tree house.
but nothing happened until the sun finally peered just over the horizon.

at day 2,they decided to change the live bait with a dog.
When the night falls, from their tree house, they hear the dog barks constantly.
Right before midnight, they hear tiger's roar echo through the dark sumatran jungle.
when in the black of night you hear a wild tiger roar, It can send a chill right through you, said the blog writer.
it brings a majestic and mystical power that one couldn't describe. very different from the roar of a captive tiger in a zoo,
when a tiger is just a domestic cat with a very large body, he added.
and then the dog suddenly became quiet. right after that, they saw the blitz flashing 3 times followed by a deafening roar.
and then everything went quiet. nothing happened again. the rest is just an eerie and quiet night.

in the morning they found the dog sitting in the corner of the cage, still shaken by what happened.
it must be scary experience, but fortunately the dog still alive and unharmed.
The tiger probably is a big dominant male judging from his footprints with a diameter of over 20 cm.

and here he is...

*This image is copyright of its original author

remember when you see this scary face and those eyes, this is not a face of an ordinary captive tiger.
this is the face of a wild sumatran tiger trying to eat his prey in the jungle at night.
everytime i see this photo and i imagine being that poor dog in the cage, it's always gives me an eerie feeling.

 

 

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