Our twelve days in Kanha (staying at the wonderful Singinawa lodge and guided by the excellent David Raju) were rewarded by the sighting of 13 different tigers with most being seen on multiple occasions. Many of these encounters were of a high quality.
Males can weigh in at an impressive 250kg and stand 1.1m at the shoulder. The white spot on the back of their ears is a striking feature. They are impressive cats.
One of their favourite prey is the Sambar, the largest deer in India which can weigh up to 270kg. Their alarm calls when a tiger is in the vicinity are unmistakable and these can be heard in this film. Tigers tend to hunt at night by stalking their prey through the dense undergrowth and dispatching them by a hit to the neck with their large paws and then a powerful and deep bite to sever the jugular.
There are probably fewer that 2000 tigers in India and this represents about 2/3rds of the global population. Hence their conservation is a priority but shrinking habitat and human activity will keep them on the edge. It was a privilege to be in their presence.