Tag: India

Watch: Tourist wants no part of close tiger encounter

Footage shows the woman standing and pleading with the driver to leave, while others in the vehicle remained calm – and for good reason.

Imagine that you’re on safari observing a tiger at close range and one guest stands in the vehicle and loudly pleads with the driver to back away.

“Please, can you go?!” the woman insists in the accompanying footage, using a hand gesture for emphasis. Later in the footage, the woman again stands and demands that it’s time to leave.

The footage was captured last year in India’s Ranthambore National Park. It was reposted Tuesday by Ranthambhore Wildlife, titled, “Tiger scares lady or lady scared tiger.”

The video inspired lots of social-media commentary and one follower remarked that “yelling like an idiot” could have provoked an attack.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Woobly6Hw/

Another chimed in: “This woman is more aggressive than the poor tiger! What’s wrong with her?”

It’s worth noting that tigers in India’s wildlife reserves are accustomed to the presence of safari vehicles and typically do not become aggressive if tourists and guides remain quietly seated.

If a tiger approaches, it’s essential that everyone remains calm.

A few comments were somewhat in defense of the woman, but many were critical and several people pointed out that tourists pay lots of money for the chance to observe wild tigers.

While some might question whether the driver allowed this to become too close of an encounter, Ranthambhore Wildlife implied that the woman was the only person violating protocol:

“It’s essential to remember that tigers are wild animals and deserve our respect. As we venture into their natural habitat, we must prioritize our safety and theirs.

“A calm and composed demeanor is crucial in such situations. By following the guidelines and exercising self-control, we can ensure a thrilling yet safe experience for both humans and animals alike.”

Ranthambore National Park is in the state of Rajasthan. The forested region is home to more than 80 Bengal tigers and other large animals, such as leopards, sloth bears, and crocodiles.

Ranthambhore Wildlife (note difference in spelling) operates safaris twice-daily in the park.

Dog flees stalking leopard while a smaller dog stays to ‘fight’

Two dogs encounter a stalking leopard in an Indian village, and security camera footage shows each reacting quite differently.

In a village in India, two dogs encountered a stalking leopard, and each reacted quite differently.

The incident occurred in the northern part of Nashik in a suburb called Makhmalabad, and was captured on a security camera around 11 p.m. on a rainy night at the end of September.

The footage shows the first dog obviously noticing the approaching leopard. It nearly ran into the parked motorcycle in its haste to get away.

The second dog, a bit smaller than the first, came out of a storage shed to watch its friend high-tail it out of there, unaware of the approaching leopard.

But the dog soon discovered why its friend ran away so quickly. When it turned, it saw the predator and reacted quite differently.

Instead of running away, the second dog retreated into the storage shed and fought back the only way it could: with its bark, a high-pitched screech. It was a panicked bark if ever there was one.

The leopard reacted by turning around and taking off.

Indian leopards can run up to 36 mph, can jump nearly 10 feet and can leap over 20 feet horizontally. So, the second dog probably would not have outrun the hungry leopard and did the correct thing.

Thankfully, its bark proved more threatening than its bite.

Photo courtesy of Biswajit Hindustan Media.

‘Forest landlord’ halts produce truck to collect highway tax

Social-media followers chime in after photo emerges showing a large elephant claiming its share of goods from a transport vehicle.

In July we published a story that referenced a massive shark bite on a giant hooked tuna as collection by the “taxman.”

Since then we’ve mentioned other instances involving sharks being referred to by frustrated anglers, jokingly, as tax collectors.

Apparently, that label can also apply to elephants.

On Monday, a member of the Indian Forest Service shared the accompanying image showing a large female elephant using her towering frame and trunk to poach produce from a truck.

“Tax Deduction at Source,” Parveen Kaswan joked via X.

One follower described the truck’s contents as sugarcane.

“And no paperwork necessary!” another person remarked, before adding: “She’s way cuter than bureaucrats!”

Another follower referred to the incident as “forceful tax deduction,” while another described the collection as “a forest tax for the landlord.”

Still another referred to the elephant as a “sneaky thief.”

Kaswan did not credit the photographer or state when and where the amusing episode played out.

Watch: Angry tiger reacts to ‘intrusive’ tourists in safari vehicle

Footage from India shows the agitated tiger charging an open-topped jeep full of tourists, including at least one child.

Wild animals exhibit remarkable restraint when tourists in vehicles violate their space. But occasionally, they lash out.

Video footage shared Sunday by a member of the Indian Forest Service shows an agitated tiger aggressively charging an open-topped vehicle before responding to loud sounds made by a guide and retreating into the forest.

(Click here to view the footage.)

“Sometimes, our ‘too much’ eagerness for ‘Tiger sighting’ is nothing but intrusion in their life,” Surender Mehra bemoaned via X.

Viewers might note that, with the vehicle just yards from the tiger, at least one infant can be heard in the audio.

The post brings to question the issue of responsible tourism, as in, how close is too close for the safety of wildlife and tourists? (In most regions of the world, any action that glaringly alters the behavior of a wild animal might be considered harassment.)

Reads one of the top comments: “But why [do] the visitors have to risk their life in an open jeep? One leap by the tiger can cause heart attacks to some of them sitting in the jeep. The thrill will vanish in a second.”

The top comment is from a follower who seemed to imply that had the tourists remained silent during the encounter, the tiger might not have felt compelled to lash out:

“Worst is the constant jabbering by tourists – they just won’t keep quiet!”

No mistaking fabled ‘king’ after close encounter in India

Folks quizzed about the identity of a large snake photographed recently in India did not require much time to form a consensus.

An Indian Forest Service employee this week shared an image showing a large snake pausing in a clearing with its head and neck raised in a classic cobra posture.

Parveen Kaswan stated via X: “This beauty. Let’s see who can guess the species.”

Responses quickly formed an overwhelming consensus that the snake in question was, as one commenter remarked, “The King himself.”

King cobras, which can measure 15-plus feet, are the longest venomous snakes on earth. They inhabit rainforests and plains in northern India, southern China, and Southeast Asia.

(Click here to view Kaswan’s post on X.)

Although rarely encountered, king cobras are revered in India, where they’re considered the national reptile.

King cobra. Photo: Wikipedia

They’re not typically aggressive toward humans, choosing to escape rather than bite in most cases. But a king cobra bite, if not treated immediately, can kill a person in less than 30 minutes.

MORE: CAN YOU SPOT THE RATTLESNAKE HIDING IN BACKYARD?

Kaswan, at the time of this post, had not provided details regarding the sighting. Nor had he responded to comments beneath his X post.

One follower, referring to a recent study that suggests there are four types of king cobras in India, commented:

“It’s now established as 4 different species in different ranges. Assuming this is in northern India, it’s Ophiophagus hannah. If it were from the Western Ghats, it’d be Ophiophagus kaalinga, based on the recent classification.”

Another follower observed: “The Most Mythical of Serpents. The One who Straddles Terrestrial Earth & Heavenly Divinity.The Companion to Lord Shiva. Worshipped & Feared in equal measure by Man.”

A man claiming to be a physician remarked, “We are not left with much to do when a patient is brought to us after it has bitten them.”

Another follower stated that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, directing his comment to Kaswan: “Sir, you call every snake a beauty, but for a common man, it’s scary.”

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Dramatic footage shows tusker elephant being rescued from well

Footage shows the disoriented elephant emerging from the well and ramming a tractor before returning to the forest.

A representative of the Indian Forest Service has shared footage showing the tense rescue of an elephant that had become trapped in a well in the state of Odisha.

“A tusker rescued from an open well in [the town of] Narla. Well done team Kalahandi North,” Susanta Nanda stated Thursday via X.

The footage, captured from the cab of a tractor used to create a path for the elephant, shows the disoriented animal struggling to regain its footing and ramming the vehicle before trotting into the forest.

(Click here to view the video.)

It also shows townsfolk cheering the rescue from the branches of a large tree.

It remains unclear how the elephant became trapped, but unprotected wells are a threat to elephants throughout much of their habitat.

Tiger, cobra in standoff during rarely witnessed encounter; video

Footage shows the tiger pausing in its tracks and the cobra flaring its hood, but both critters appear to hold their ground.

Safari guests in India were treated recently to a rarely witnessed interaction between a tiger and cobra, which appeared to culminate in a standoff.

Several clips are being shared via social media but the accompanying footage is reported to have been captured in early August by Sudhir Charmode in the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve.

The first clip, shared by Ramesh Pandey of the Indian Forest Service, shows the young tiger pausing when it encounters the cobra in a muddy creek, and the cobra flaring its hood as a warning.

The tiger is wary of the venomous reptile and maintains a safe distance, but it does not flee.

The second clip, shared by the Mumbai-based media company Latest LY, shows the tiger resting while keeping a close eye on the cobra opposite the creek.

At this point the cat and snake are only yards apart.

Latest LY wrote: “The video, which has quickly gained attention on social media, depicts the tiger and snake facing each other, blocking each other’s path.

“Such incidents are seldom witnessed, making this encounter particularly extraordinary.”

The interaction occurred during a festival period when cobras and other snakes are worshipped by Hindus.

‘Ever vigilant’ elephant stamps out threat to calf at watering hole

Dramatic footage captured in India shows “what maternal instinct is all about” as crocodile limps away empty-handed.

A momma elephant keeps her babies close because danger often lurks in unexpected places.

The accompanying footage, shared this week by an Indian conservation official, shows momma standing guard as her calf plops on its side to roll in a muddy watering hole.

After a few seconds, momma elephant grows suspicious and suddenly a crocodile appears in the frame, lunging toward the calf.

Viewers will note that momma is having none of it and ends the threat without harm inflicted on her baby.

Dr. PM Dhakate, Chief Conservator of Forests, stated via X:

“See this amazing moment as a mother elephant saves her calf from a crocodile. Her strong, ever vigilant and brave actions show what maternal instinct is all about.”

–Generic elephant image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Watch: Tiger, bear square off in tense jungle encounter

Footage shows the tiger following the sloth bear, which at one point turns and charges the tiger.

Last month we shared rare footage showing a tiger chasing a sloth bear through an Indian jungle.

Tigers sometimes prey on sloth bears, but predation attempts are rarely witnessed.

The footage, credited to Siddharth Singh, was posted to X by Ramesh Pandey of the Indian Forest Service, who remarked: “Jungles never cease to amaze us.”

On Wednesday, Pandey shared the accompanying footage (also captured by Singh) showing a tiger and sloth bear squaring off on a remote path in a lowland jungle, as tourists in vehicles watched from opposite  locations.

This time, the tiger is wary and simply follows the bear, which at one point charges the tiger. The outcome of their encounter is unclear.

Although tigers occasionally prey on sloth bears, the two species typically thrive together in shared protected habitat, according to Wildlife SOS.

Elephant ‘too kind’ but still frightens reckless tourists; video

Footage shows the elephant, crowded by safari vehicles, shoving its head into the driver’s side of one vehicle and forcing its occupants to exit.

Tourists in India discovered recently that elephants will not always tolerate being cornered by vehicles full of frenzied admirers.

The accompanying footage, believed to have been captured in Jim Corbett National Park, shows a chaotic scene in which a large elephant singled out one vehicle as a means of expressing its disapproval. (Video contains profanity.)

At one point the elephant backs up before reemerging to step on the vehicle’s bumper before moving to the driver’s side and forcing the occupants to exit the passenger side.

“This gentle giant was too kind,” Ramesh Pandey of the Indian Forest Service observed via X.

The Stripes and Green Earth Foundation (SAGE) also shared the footage while criticizing the tourists’ clear violation of distance guidelines.

To be sure, the elephant exhibited restraint by not becoming aggressive and creating a potentially deadly situation.

The footage ends with the elephant to the right of the frame as a crew examines possible damage to the vehicle.