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

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(10-22-2018, 11:26 AM)Spalea Wrote: About previous talks:

From wikipedia, the "Ussuri brown bear" page:

Interactions with tigers

Ussuri brown bears are occasionally preyed on by Siberian tigers, and constitute about 1% of their diet (and up to 18.5% together with black bears in very particular cases).[10][11] Siberian tigers regularly prey on young bears but adult female Ussuri brown bears are also taken outside their dens as well.[6][12][13] Siberian tigers most typically attack brown bears in the winter in the bear's hibernaculum.[14] They are typically attacked by tigers more often than the smaller black bears, due to their habit of living in more open areas and their inability to climb trees. When hunting bears, tigers will position themselves from the leeward side of a rock or fallen tree, waiting for the bear to pass by. When the bear passes, the tiger will spring from an overhead position and grab the bear from under the chin with one forepaw and the throat with the other. The immobilised bear is then killed with a bite to the spinal column. After killing a bear, the tiger will concentrate its feeding on the bear's fat deposits, such as the back, legs and groin.[15] Tiger attacks on bears tend to occur when ungulate populations decrease. From 1944 to 1959, more than 32 cases of tigers attacking bears were recorded in the Russian Far East. In the same period, four cases of brown bears killing female and young tigers were reported, both in disputes over prey and in self-defense.[15][16][17][18] Gepnter et al. (1972) stated bears are generally afraid of tigers and change their path after coming across tiger trails. In the winters of 1970–1973, Yudakov and Nikolaev recorded 1 case of brown bear showing no fear of the tigers and another case of brown bear changing path upon crossing tiger tracks.[10][15][19][20] Large brown bears may actually benefit from the tiger's presence by appropriating tiger kills that the bears may not be able to successfully hunt themselves and follow.[21] During telemetry research in the Sikhote-Alin protected area, 44 direct confrontations between the two predators were observed, in which bears were killed in 22 cases, and tigers in 12 cases.[22]

As we can see the reality is far more nuanced than we can think...

We have this saying, maybe this is universal: Lie, bigger lie, statistics. Meaning of this is of course, that even though statistics usually tell us some numbers, which are right, it can still give us impression, which doesn´t hold in more close observation. Key to understand statistics and what they tell us is to look closer, what those statistics consists.

I for instance have read before all what you wrote here and I wrote my opinion fully aware of that statistic and also updated version of it. Those numbers are all right, but that statistic, when looking closer, just confirms, that females and young bears are victims when tiger kills a bear. I think, that this subject is quite old here too and no new information lately.

One interesting point from your text: " During telemetry research in the Sikhote-Alin protected area, 44 direct confrontations between the two predators were observed, in which bears were killed in 22 cases, and tigers in 12 cases.[22] " That is obviously wrong information. Statistic of 44 cases isn´t from some telemetry research. That number includes every old case too, which researchers accept as reliable cases. But then again you quote wikipedia, where that kind of mistakes can be found many times. Reply