Tigers are flamboyant felines known in the wild as ambush predators. Along with lions, tigers are two of the deadliest species of wild animals. A tiger tries to attack its prey from behind, while a lion attacks from the front. The big cat circles its prey in circles, then gradually narrows the circle to catch it.
Tigers can ambush their prey because they are very skilled hunters. When the time is right, tigers will hover over their chosen target before swooping down. One thing’s for sure – you don’t want to be on the other side of this interaction!
A recent video shows a precious tiger cub learning how to hunt. The thing about ambush is that it’s a skill learned over time. The cat ended up crouching a few feet away from what appeared to be a deer.
In a second, the animal could have had a fresh lunch, but he’s still learning his ways in the wild. We think it’s safe to assume that this is one of the first cases of a tiger hunting alone.
©Anuradha Marwah/Shutterstock.com
learn new skills
At 8 to 10 months of age, tiger cubs start hunting with their mother and siblings. A tigress focuses primarily on raising her cubs and teaching them how to hunt and defend themselves. At about 15 months of age, tiger cubs spend most of their time wrestling with their brothers and mother.
At about 24 weeks after birth, the cubs nurse with their mother. At that stage the tigress starts bringing food to her cubs, including buffalo, wild boar, antelope or other wild animals. The cubs are not able to hunt on their own until they are about one and a half years old.
After two to three years with their mother, the pups create their own territories. Sometimes the pup’s new area is close to the mother’s area, especially if she is female. Tigers can live up to 25 years in captivity and 15 to 20 years in the wild.
While the deer are lucky in this situation, we can’t help but think this little tiger is adorable as it tries to ambush for a quick bite.
next
- Watch a lioness defend her cubs against an aggressive male – a mother’s love has never been stronger than a defensive lioness!
- Watch two giant lions fight for dominance in slow motion – if you thought lion fighting was intense, wait until you see it in slow motion!
- Watch a brave lioness try to stop a stalking male from killing her cubs – see what a mother is willing to do to protect her cubs.
- Watch two crocodiles battle it out in a fierce competition – even other crocodiles!
- Watch a baby penguin escape from a seal hunt – the Arctic is a wild place, and a penguin battles a predator to survive.
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
