You might think that a rumble between a tiger and a bear would be a nasty, brutal affair. But when a nature reserve in India became the sparring ground for these two unlikely foes this spring, onlookers saw a different story.
Safari goers watched the encounter from inside Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, a protected area in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Exciting video footage shows a tigress (Panthera tigris) along an unpaved road. It is one of the target species in the reserve, where a partially constructed ecosystem is home to hundreds of prey species.
But sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) – like the one that rolls out of the bushes along the road a few meters in front of her – are not among them.
A mutual scope-out
But instead of a violent clash between rivals, the encounter takes the form of a mutual outreach.
The animals stand back and watch each other as the bear crosses the road and slides into the undergrowth on the other side. The tension breaks when the bear attacks later. But when there is aggression, it does not escalate.
A rare sight of a bear charging towards a tigress captured today at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve – a CATS (Conservation Assured Tiger Standards) habitat patiently developed by UP Forest Department.
Don’t miss Big Cat’s calmness and composure even in attacks and… pic.twitter.com/jU48UWpTqJ— Dr Rajiv Kumar Gupta IAS (retd) (@drrajivguptaias) April 30, 2024
A wildlife photographer on the safari noted that the tigress appeared to ‘surrender’ during the encounter, while an ecology and conservation lecturer who was not on site said the bear was not aggressive at all.
“The tiger took the time to look at the bear and possibly recorded it to understand more about it. The bear didn’t show a particularly aggressive attack on the video, so the tiger must have decided it was big enough to hold out,” said Tara Pirie of Britain’s University of Surrey. told LiveScience.
As top predators of similar size, tigers and sloth bears do not compete for identical resources. Sloth bears are omnivores that only hunt insects such as termites and ants. And according to an article from 2022 in the news Scientific reportsthey share the same biggest threat: the construction of roads in their habitat.
As the original poster of the encounter on X pointed out, nature takes care of itself.
“Don’t miss the calm and tranquility of Big Cat even when attacked, nervous and afraid of a bear aware of unequal status (sic),” wrote Dr. Rajiv Kumar Gupta. “Nature has many lessons to teach people!!”
The mail Clash of Jungle Giants: Tiger vs. Bear in India appeared first on Explorersweb.
