A Tiger By the Tail

When tigers attack, there's usually a good reason

The Bengal tiger-the name given to tigers throughout the Indian subcontinent-is comparatively harmless when left alone. Like all animals, however, the tiger can be provoked and when it is, be prepared to protect yourself or head for safety, fast.

Tiger experts list six "Instances of Provocation," or IOPs-the circumstances under which a big cat can very quickly be provoked. These are: when a cat is wounded; when it has freshly killed prey and is eating or just about to eat; when it is surprised by the sudden appearance of a human; when it thinks it is cornered, which sometimes happens when groups of villagers are herding cattle or foraging in the forest; when it is mating; and when a female moves to protect its young.

The most unlikely IOP is the one of surprise. Tigers, like all cats, are very aware of everything that is going on around them and only a hunter with great skill and experience is able to get close enough to one to be able to surprise it.

The most common IOP is an encounter with a female with cubs. While most big cats will move away when they hear a man approaching, a female with cubs is more apt to stay in cover and attempt to hide to protect her young.

In early March of this year two Dutchmen hiking in Chitwan National Park in Nepal unknowingly got too close to a tigress with cubs. She came charging out of the elephant grass and attacked one of the men, biting him badly in the shoulder. Both men were carrying walking sticks, and the injured man's companion used his to beat off the cat. The injured man was lucky to survive.-Peter Byrne

Copyright Sports Afield, Inc. Sep 2004
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