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BEHAVIOURAL LESSONS FROM TIGERS


What makes the Tiger such a great and fearsome creature? It is regarded as one of the most remarkable animals in the world, its appearance and majestic exoticness has made people curious about it. But what really makes the tiger tick? What are the things that makes the tiger such a great and fearsome creature?

The tiger male waits for the female and cubs to eat first

In the “dog eat dog” world of the animal kingdom, it is not often that you find this kind of behaviour for an animal who can beat a Lion, so called king of the beasts in a one on one fight yet who still recognizes the fact that  the weakest members of the family, the females and the cubs need to be taken care of first is worthy of note. The tiger is an object lesson in the fact that your worth is not how powerful you are as an individual but how much you are willing to help in lifting up those weaker than you. The interesting thing about show of responsibility is that it is not taught. Unlike most other cats, tigers, especially males, are solitary and territorial creatures who must start fending for themselves at tender ages. The Tiger has learnt that the ability to defer, to sacrifice to put others first, to not want everything to go one’s way all the time is not a sign of weakness.

Tigers aim for large prey such as bears, rhinos and crocodiles

Most other animals prey on smaller animals than them, house cats prey on mice, big fish prey on small fish and even Lions would go for young antelopes and Zebras rather than grown ones. Tigers however target bigger animals. Tigers will attack Rhinos, Bears, half grown elephants or sometimes swim right into a river to attack a fully grown crocodile. It is often said that no man can be considered great until he has achieved something greater than himself. Feats like this are testament to the tiger’s bravery and boldness. Where other predators see an invincible enemy, the Tiger is already seeing its next meal.

So how does the tiger manage to kill these animals, some of them who weigh as much as twice its own weight? By surprising them. A tiger lies in patient ambush and then attacks its prey and goes straight for the prey’s neck. A lot of homework is put into it. The tiger is decisive, he is clinical, he knows he has only one shot and he goes for it, before the problem has a chance to recover and become more threatening. The Tiger tackles its objective when it has the advantage before indecision paves way for failure, which leads to discouragement. It is the secret of the tiger’s greatness.


Tigers can adapt, improvise, and think on their feet.

“Be like the flowing water, forever adaptable.” Few animals exemplify this mantra more than the tiger. For example tigers normally go for their prey’s neck, but it alters its tactics when attacking a crocodile, since the crocodile’s neck is covered with armoured skin, it will not bite the crocodile, instead it will attempt to blind the crocodile with its seven inches long claws and then attempt to flip the crocodile on its back so that it can slash the its soft underbelly like a surgeon’s scalpel. Also when hunting bears, tigers have been known to mimic bears’ prey in order to lure an unsuspecting bear expecting easy food, into its jaws. In the unpredictable world we live in today, in a world where everyday presents its own unexpected obstacles the difference between a successful man and a failed one often boils down to being able to adapt, to improvise, to think on one’s feet.

Tigers rarely view humans as prey but they may attack if threatened

It is okay to fight, if it is for a just cause. The tiger is a perfect gentleman when the occasion calls for it, but it can be a ferocious monster when defending its territory. One characteristic of living things we were taught in basic science is Irritability.  The ability, to feel, to respond to stimuli. We take it further by calling it  the ability to get angry, to fight,  in life you will face challenges, challenges that will knock you down, challenges  that will make you doubt the very things you know and the very things that you hold dear. That is when you must fight back, where you must reclaim what belongs to you. When you fall seven times, stand up eight times, that is the mark of a true warrior, a winner worthy of honour and respect. That is why the tiger is highly feared and respected.

Few creatures elicit such excitement as the tiger. Flashing stripes, killer speed, and stunning intelligence make this remarkable beast one of the gems of the animal kingdom. For ages, numerous cultures have used art and literature to illustrate just how the tiger inspires both ferociousness and fearlessness in our lives. To summarise:-



 Content Curated By: Dr Shoury Kuttappa




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