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(08-19-2019, 11:31 PM)GuateGojira Wrote: Ok, I have the book "Tiger, portrait of a predator" of Valmik Thapar. I have not read it completelly yet, but only the chapter about "Genghis, the master killer".
Sadly there is no information about the speed of the tiger attacks, it just says that it was very fast and that covered distances of over 150 meters running against the sambars in the water, but just that. Even then, it is a remarkable feat as tigers normally do not run such a distances. Now this technique was used only during the time that the dry season started and the water bodies were less and less, so sambar retreated to the lakes. Latter, in the peak of hot season the Genghis stoped his attacks as the distance between the grass and the lake was larger and the technique was no longer usefull. Interestingly, the success of this technique was high, with one kill in every five attacks! As far I know, the highest success reported for a tiger is of one kill per three attacks, and it was for a tigress in Pench NP.
The current quoted statement that tigers had a 5% or 10% os success are just mere guesses and like Dr Karanth says: "success ratios are likely to be strongly dependent on probabilities of encountering prey and, therefore, on prey densities". Also, contrary to predatores in the African savannah "it is difficult to observe and unbiased sample of hunts to reliable estimate hunting success for tigers". Dr Sunquist goes furter on his comments on those "guesses": "Regardless of how they are calculated, success rates are likely to vary as a function of prey densities, grouping patterns of prey species, changes in prey vulnerability, as well as differences in experience among individual tigers". So, the educated "guesses" of tiger success hunting vary from 5 to 50%, but they are unlikelly to be reliable do to the large variables and the only two specific tigers studied in India, as far I know, produced a success of 20% (Genghis) and 33% (Pench female) and just during that season.
So, in conclution, there is no "speed figures" in that chapter and I doubth that it will be in the rest of the book. My conclution is that the figures of "60 miles" is a typo and should be "60 kilometers" which is more in the range known and up to 75 km for a tigress in captivity.
Now, about the endurance (the main point of this topic), there is a good report from Genghis, that it was also filmed, as far I remember. It says that Genghis stoled the prey of the crocodiles many times, and in one case the tiger went to the water and smashed it with his forepaws. The tiger grab the carcase of a female sambar of at least 200 kg, the crocodiles must have pulled with all their might but Genghis paws were more powerfull, he had to swim at least 45 meters and still manage to keep a grip on the carcass. Thapat says that "while swiming he wrapped a paw around the sambar's neck and used the oterh paw to stroke the water. Once, for a moment, he disappeared under the water with the carcass but quickly surfaced again and powerfully stroked his way to dry land. An amazing feat."
There is no doubt that tigers have good endurance, but like any predator, specially the large ones, they decide when is "economic" to use it and when not.
I just read something about success rates from Londolozi guide. He had also interesting points of views about that topic. It was more about leopards, but with remarks, which fit to all animals. I try to find that and post in some suitable thread. It is partially a line in water, when talking about success rates, maybe. Depending about it, that what is counted as attempt.
