How not to get killed by a tiger

It is called a Bengal Tiger because of its large presence in Sunderban National Park in West Bengal. The tiger is at the top of the food chain and is a tertiary carnivore. It is also called the apex predator.

Sitting at the top of the food pyramid it naturally becomes and indicator species. The animal thrives in forest ecosystems and tall swampy grasslands but not in open scrub and small cropped grasslands.

Let me make it clear tigers are thorough gentlemen and do not kill for fun or to satiate some hidden blood thirst as most of the people on earth believe.

Tigers kill deer, monkeys, wild boar, sambar, bison and other creatures only for food. Since they are meat eaters by biological necessity as they are the top predators in the food chain. Their job is to control the population of herbivores so that the ecosystem is not overgrazed by them.

When on a tiger safari you go on foot trekking tigers or other animals in the forest, you must move cautiously so that there is no chance of an accidental encounter with a tiger. This can be life threatening if the tiger is surprised and frightened, then he may kill in self defense. Keep making a noise or talk loudly with your partner if you cannot see through the thickets on your way.

Always keep your ear and eyes open for tigers give tell tale signs of their presence and when they do not other animals do. But they can be incredibly silent and hidden at unexpected places in the forest. Thus when you trek in the forest keep your eyes and ears open and tread on the open path. If you have to wade through a bush then sit down make some noises and if a tiger does not emerge from the thicket then thank God and walk through.

Normally Bengal tigers shy away from humans and when you encounter a tiger in the wild...this is what is going to happen...good for you. But sometimes the tiger cannot move away due to injury then it is wiser for you to back out.

It can be dangerous if you walk into a tigress with cubs. Move back immediately and keep an eye for the cubs who may be loitering around. You should by no means go near the cubs, if you do the tigress will charge and you are a dead duck...ooops dead man. Tigresses are very protective mothers and edgy so be careful.

In case of a man eating tiger, none of the above will work for he becomes an expert in killing humans by learning their ways fast. Avoid forests which report a presence of a man eating tiger. And if you happen to be the first one to know be assured it is too late. People will realize the truth after seeing your carcass.

Under any circumstances walk on an open path where you can see your surroundings well. Always enter the forest in the company of a guide or a friend.

Else stay back in your hotel room and go far a tiger safari in the park on the jeep. This way your safety is assured.

Most of the incidence of conflict with man is due to habitat encroachment and injury, most often caused by a poacher's bullet in old days. Most of tiger attacks in India are in defense whence men move to close to it and frighten it.

Tiger and other big cats are known not to kill humans for food. The reasons could be many but I am sure our get up and past experience of the tigers deters them to go after humans. Man has been very aggressive towards these predators and hence they have learned to avoid him.

But even if we are not the part of tiger food chain sometimes instance of man eating occurs. Tigers do attack humans in self defense if a mock charge does not work. Hence on first aggression of a tiger we should move away in such a manner that the animal has room to escape.

Most of the attacks in India are due to extreme proximity near these big cats. Most of the times the animal is taken by surprise and feels threatened. The charge is natural. But only in few instances the tiger eats human flesh. Once the animal regularly kills humans for food he is declared as a man eater.

Invalidity is another reason for a hungry tiger to go after the humans. The tiger is sometimes injured by hunters or in a territorial fight. If the injury is substantial hunting becomes difficult and hence he goes after a soft target like man.

Some time collectors of forest produce which are mostly women stumble upon these animals in dense canopy and get killed. It is a tigress with cubs death is assured.

Instances of healthy tiger attacking humans is very rare and this could be described as aberrant behavior.

Most noticeable instance of man eating by tigers have taken place in the Kumaon region and Nainital District of Uttaranchal in India. Attack on man and man eating takes place every year in Sunderban Tiger Reserve in West Bengal.

The region surrounding Dudhwa National Park is also subjected to sporadic instances of man eating. The famous elephant safari destination in India Corbett NP is subject to tiger attack. In recent times there have been frequent attacks on women who encroach into the tiger habitat.

Now and them attacks do take place on people near tiger habitats. Most of these attacks are fatal but not necessary turn into man eating. A tiger becomes a man eater once he regularly targets humans and consumes them.