There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
--- Peter Broekhuijsen ---

  • 12 Vote(s) - 3.83 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)

peter Offline
Co-owner of Wildfact
*****
Moderators
( This post was last modified: 10-11-2014, 11:20 AM by peter )

1 - THE KILLER OF MEN

Yes, many well-known hunters thought the necks of large animals were broken in a more or less accidental way, but Bengt Berg was one who concluded it most certainly wasn't accidental. In my opinion, he was as qualified as, for instance, Dunbar-Brander. Furthermore, he had first-hand experience in the north-east of India, close to the Bhutan border.

Here are the great photographs again. Watch the similarities between the isjubr and the Indian wild buffalo:



*This image is copyright of its original author




*This image is copyright of its original author



The wild buffalo above, I think, wasn't one of the buffalo's killed by the 'Killer of Men' (the Bhutan tiger Bengt Berg was referring to in his book). Berg clearly stated this particular tiger only hunted the largest wild male buffalo's. Animals like this male buffalo (from his book 'Meine Jagd nach dem Einhorn', Frankfurt am Main, 1933):



*This image is copyright of its original author



The 'Killer of Men', who got his nickname for obvious reasons, was the largest tiger Bengt Berg ever saw. The largest he actually measured (292,1 cm. straight and 256,28 kg.) was much less robust. Here's the tiger again:



*This image is copyright of its original author




*This image is copyright of its original author



2 - QUOTES FROM BERG'S BOOK

The best way to describe in what way the Bhutan tiger operated is to quote from his book (the quotes were translated from German to English).

1 - While searching for "the Killer of Men', Berg found a dead male buffalo near the Bhutan border:

" ... It was a very large wild male buffalo, and he was lying on his side, the head underneath his body and the horns sticking in the ground (...). It looked like the tiger had broken his neck with a single grip. The grip was such, that the heavy body also was thrown over. A tiger able to kill a buffalo of about a thousand kg. (about 2200 lbs.) in such an easy way, had to have unimaginable power ... " (pp. 169).

2 - At first, because he was a killer of men, Berg wanted to shoot the tiger. He waited near the buffalo and shot the tiger in the evening. Next morning, he discovered he had shot a tigress. And a very large one at that:

" ... There he was, lying just after he had been hit by the bullit. It turned out to be a mighty, extremely beautifully coloured, tigress ... " (pp. 175).  

3 - After the tigress was shot, a man came running to Berg telling him his largest bull (a captive buffalo this time) had been killed by a giant tiger. Berg went to the place where the bull was lying:

" ... The prints showed the tiger was a very large animal and the bull was in exactly the same position as the wild male buffalo, the broken neck and the head beneath the heavy body (...). It was undoubtedly the work of the same master ... " (pp. 176).

4 - Berg again waited near the dead bull. This time, he actually saw the tiger:

" ... I knew directly that this was the largest tiger I had seen. Every time I saw parts of him, it seemed as if his back had no end. When he finally showed himself completely, it wasn't the length that baffled me, but the width, the robustness and the circumference of his bull-like neck, the huge shoulders, the robust body and the enormous head ... " (pp. 179).

5 - Berg wanted the tiger to reproduce. His decision wasn't appreciated. The local farmers and cart-drivers continued to inform him on his whereabouts. Berg, therefore, went from one wild buffalo to the other. Occasionally, there was a captive bull. The largest only, of course. Berg time and again concluded the animals had been killed in exactly the same way:

" ... He killed a buffalo some nights later. The buffalo was lying in the usual way with the neck broken ... " (pp. 182).
" ... And the bull was lying in the usual way, with his neck broken and the head turned underneath the heavy body ... " (pp. 184).


3 - THE SIZE OF THE KILLER OF MEN

Those more or less familiar with today's Indian tigers, when they see the photograph of the 'Killer of Men', think the tiger, although large, doesn't really compare to some of the large and well-known large male tigers in Central and North-India. 

They could be right, but it is important to remember the 'Killer of Men' was longer and much more robust than the largest tiger Berg actually weighed. That animal, at 256,28 kg., was dwarfed by the 'Killer of Men'. Based on what I read on the difference between both tigers, I concluded it is very likely he exceeded 600 lbs. (272,16 kg.). For now, I propose to assume he could have compared to the largest (heaviest) Indian tigers today.


4 - PREY SIZE AND TIGER SIZE

Everything I read suggests there could be a strong relation between tiger size and prey size. W. Bazé ('Tiger, Tiger', London, 1957), regarding Vietnam tigers, wrote the largest he shot was 260 kg. and 338 cm. in total length (this tiger had a long tail and was probably measured 'over curves'). That tiger wasn't interested in animals most other tigers hunt. He only hunted large wild herbivores. The larger, the better, Bazé wrote. 

Guate, a year ago or so, contacted John Goodrich with a question on the alleged size of a large male Amur tiger ('Sheriff') mentioned in an article on a Canadian assistent-professor in Russia. Goodrich wrote the tiger was 200 kg. and not " ... almost 500 pounds ... ". He added " ... this is the way rumours are born on the giant size of Siberian tigers ... ".

He is right, of course, but it is a fact today's Amur tigers are the longest wild big cats. They also have long and robust legs and large skulls. In good conditions, large wild males, like in the recent past, should be able to get to the weight of large Indian tigers (550-600 pounds) at times.

It is about the conditions, of course. And they are not that good in Russia in that large prey animals have disappeared. Is this important regarding size? My answer would be yes. We know large tigers hunt large animals when they can. One could, probably, also turn it round: if there are no large animals, tigers probably are not able to get to their potential.


5 - IN WHAT WAY IS ROBUSTNESS EXPRESSED IN TIGERS?

Based on all measurements I have, I'd say neck, chest and, perhaps, skull width and skull circumference. Not total skull length, legs, shoulders and total length. The reason? Large and robust tigers hunt large prey animals. What do you need to subdue, kill and move large animals? A strong and dense skull and a large neck. Would make sense, as tigers use their skull to connect, hold, subdue, kill, move and eat. The large neck, I think, isn't a result of the large skull, but of the movement of large animals.

Amur tigers have slightly longer skulls, but the captive skulls I saw are not as wide and massive as those of captive Indian tigers. Could be different in wild tigers, but I think the differences would be limited. Wild Amur tigers also do not kill and move large animals, because they just are not there anymore.

And legs? I noticed that even captive Amur tigers have longer and more robust legs than all other big cats. Why is that? Russia has no really large prey animals, does it? True, but brown bears and wild boar are there and they are sometimes hunted. Both animals are massive and difficult to subdue. Big legs allow a tiger to wrestle and to twist.

But why is it Indian tigers hunting much larger animals have smaller legs? Well, the giants they hunt do not have to be wrestled down. They need to be jumped, held and killed quickly. Some tigers, like the 'Killer of Men', use their legs to twist and turn, but Indian tigers could use their jaws and skull more often. Hence the robust and dense skull. Amur tigers need a long skull as a platform for very large canines and large jaw muscles in order to bite and penetrate, but not for pressure matches. Indian tigers do, because they have to suffocate large animals (the only way to kill a large animal). This takes many minutes and it needs a lot of force to succeed, which results in a lot of stress. Hence the wide skull and the dense bones.

Amur tigers need large paws, large legs, agility and, to an extent, endurance. The jaws are more used for stabbing and penetrating. Hence the very large canines. They bite again and again in order to penetrate and hit an artery or the spine. I'm not sure, but I don't think they go for suffocating when their opponent is a large boar or bear. The reason is these animals have large necks. Goodrich, indirectly, confirmed in that he concluded all bears killed by tigers were killed with a single bite at the base of the neck. This is effective with smaller animals (most tigers had about a hundred pounds on the bears killed).

I doubt if it would work with animals of similar or larger weight, because of the reason mentioned (a larger neck, which results in more time needed and more risks). When they fight animals of similar or larger weight, therefore, Amur tigers need a different strategy. I wouldn't be surprised to find that experienced tigers use their forelegs to twist or turn the neck of their opponent in order to create a position which enables them to penetrate the neck with their canines. But in order to have a chance, you need surprise as well as experience (in order to know where to bite). And you need very muscular arms in order to get to a good position more than once (as once won't be enough). This is also what V. Mazak suggested regarding Amur tigers and bears of similar or larger size. But that is another story.
4 users Like peter's post
Reply




Messages In This Thread
RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - TIGERS (Panthera tigris) - peter - 10-11-2014, 09:22 AM
Demythologizing T16 - tigerluver - 04-12-2020, 11:44 AM
Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 07-28-2014, 09:54 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 07-28-2014, 10:02 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 07-29-2014, 12:56 AM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - peter - 07-29-2014, 07:05 AM
Tiger recycling bin - Roflcopters - 09-04-2014, 01:36 AM
RE: Tiger recycling bin - Pckts - 09-04-2014, 02:22 AM
RE: Tiger recycling bin - Roflcopters - 09-05-2014, 01:01 AM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 11-15-2014, 10:07 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 11-15-2014, 10:57 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 11-15-2014, 11:33 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 02-19-2015, 11:25 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - GuateGojira - 02-23-2015, 11:36 AM
Status of tigers in India - Shardul - 12-20-2015, 03:23 PM
RE: Tiger Directory - Diamir2 - 10-03-2016, 04:27 AM
RE: Tiger Directory - peter - 10-03-2016, 06:22 AM
Genetics of all tiger subspecies - parvez - 07-15-2017, 01:08 PM
RE: Tiger Predation - peter - 11-11-2017, 08:08 AM
RE: Man-eaters - Wolverine - 12-03-2017, 11:30 AM
RE: Man-eaters - peter - 12-04-2017, 09:44 AM
RE: Tigers of Central India - Wolverine - 04-13-2018, 01:17 AM
RE: Tigers of Central India - qstxyz - 04-13-2018, 08:34 PM
RE: Size comparisons - peter - 07-16-2019, 05:28 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - peter - 05-20-2021, 07:13 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - Nyers - 05-21-2021, 08:02 PM
RE: Amur Tigers - peter - 05-22-2021, 08:09 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - GuateGojira - 04-06-2022, 12:59 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - tigerluver - 04-06-2022, 01:08 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - tigerluver - 04-06-2022, 09:08 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - tigerluver - 04-06-2022, 11:30 PM
RE: Amur Tigers - peter - 04-08-2022, 07:27 AM



Users browsing this thread:
5 Guest(s)

About Us
Go Social     Subscribe  

Welcome to WILDFACT forum, a website that focuses on sharing the joy that wildlife has on offer. We welcome all wildlife lovers to join us in sharing that joy. As a member you can share your research, knowledge and experience on animals with the community.
wildfact.com is intended to serve as an online resource for wildlife lovers of all skill levels from beginners to professionals and from all fields that belong to wildlife anyhow. Our focus area is wild animals from all over world. Content generated here will help showcase the work of wildlife experts and lovers to the world. We believe by the help of your informative article and content we will succeed to educate the world, how these beautiful animals are important to survival of all man kind.
Many thanks for visiting wildfact.com. We hope you will keep visiting wildfact regularly and will refer other members who have passion for wildlife.

Forum software by © MyBB