Terai vs Assam

[Roflcopters]

Is the wrong cat being labelled as the biggest specimens amongst the Bengal Tigers? 

besides the photographic proof and expert opinions (Dr Ullas Karanth saw his biggest tiger there, Kanwar Juneja a famous photographer also saw his biggest tiger in Kaziranga and Dr.Mel Sunquist mentioned in his email that tigers from Kaziranga seemed like a very heavy flock of Bengals and showed a great interest in them.)

Now the question is, are the records from the past telling us the same thing or are we not following science here? I noticed this from Guate (Heaviest skull)

* Rowland Ward (1914) - 400 mm x 283 mm - No location.
* Hawkins (1954) - 387 mm x 279 mm - Asaam.
* McDougal (1977) - 381 mm x 279 mm - Chitwan, Nepal.

Assam and Nepal with Assam specimen being slightly bigger

Give or take, they are practically in the same weight category since they have similar habitats. Gaur is extinct from some parts of Assam but not in all, it's still abundant in Manas and other parks. I think locally it's extinct in Kaziranga since no one has ever managed to get a photograph of a Gaur Specimen since early 2002. Also to add to this, Wild Asiatic Buffalos are only found in Assam. 

now going by records and studies, Kaziranga has both the highest prey density. as well as Tiger Density so Kaziranga stands at #1 for both. Now we all pretty much know this but let's see what the record from the past tells us, after all. It's not like several decades changes the size altogether, they should be the same as they were in the past. Also from the camera trap, tigers from Terai are no pushovers and easily rival the Assam Tigers in every department. 

here's Sauraha male next to an Assam male from Orang National Park

*This image is copyright of its original author

Comparisons usually are inaccurate but this one seems as realistic as it can get and specially because they are practically in the same lying position. Point is, they are similar. 

here's another Specimen from Nepal's Bardia National Park

*This image is copyright of its original author

specimen from Kaziranga, Assam India

*This image is copyright of its original author

Is it fair to say that this is the biggest cat ever photographed in Camera traps from the past and present, Amur region, Terai or Assam. Can anyone deny that this tiger is on a league of it's own?

here's another shot if the first one isn't convincing enough. 

*This image is copyright of its original author

Ok so let's say we all agree, now what is the past telling us? Is it safe to assume that Kaziranga Tigers are the largest from the scientific records? 


Just my two cents [img]images/smilies/tongue.gif[/img]











 

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