Curious cub

[Sabyasachi Patra]

This tiger cub stopped and looked at the water. I don't know whether it was a frog that attracted its attention or whether it loved its reflection. :D

Canon EOS 1D Mark II, Canon EF 400mm f2.8 L IS USM, EF 2xII ie. at 800mm, ISO 200, f5.6, 1/500th sec. Full frame image.

Look forward to your comments.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[D. Robert Franz]

Great behavior.. Not real keen on the man-made elements in the picture but worth taking for sure....

[Steve Canuel]

Nice reflection, BG, and behavior. Would also prefer natural elements but would've taken the shot too. Nice light as well.

[Ken Watkins]

I agree that the concrete etc does not help, but the image had to be captured.

[Stu Bowie]

To capture a fully grown tiger in the open, I would take this any day. Agree the concrete not the best prop. Still well captured.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Dear All,
The tigress had killed a deer stag in the grassland. The tigress and cubs had finished their meal and were returning to a cave. They had to cross this man made dam. I had stopped clicking when the started crossing this dam. Every year this dam used to be full of water and the concrete wall hardly visible. However, this year with less of rains, the dam was clearly visible. I saw this cub stop and look into the water. So I immediately clicked. I was hoping that it jumps into water, but it didn't happen. :-)

Thanks for your comments.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Stu Bowie]

Sorry Saby, I didnt read that this was actually a cub, as I called it a fully grown tiger. Still looks pretty large.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Stuart,
May be I should have said adolescent? This cub is about 16 months old but looks as large as the mother. In a few months, the mother will separate from them. The mother was already coming into oestrus. The sure shot sign to know that is when you find the tigress comes to drink water about 3-4 times a day instead of the usual once or rarely twice a day. Once the mother separates from them, the kids remain close to each other for a while and then branch out on their own. Generally males move far away to carve a territory, where as the female offspring remain close to the mothers range and try to carve a range of their own.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks for the info Saby. Although I have seen the african cats close up in the wild, I would love to experience the sight of a tiger. I think they are wonderful cats. Having said that , in a park close to Johannesburg, they have a few tiger cubs, and I had the opportunity to go into their enclosure and share some claws with them. They were very playful, and although their teeth were not that prominent, their claws drew a bit of blood on my legs. The handler made sure they didnt get out of hand.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Stuart,
A wild tiger is a sight to watch. Apart from the grace, power and beauty, I have been fascinated by the level of intelligence in tigers. In comparison, leopards and lions are dumb. However, it is difficult to sight small cubs. They are very playful and stalk and charge at each other and do lot of play fighting. Let me know when you want to come. I would love to go to Africa but that has to wait till I complete my book on tiger. There are so many behavioural shots that are in my dreams.....

Cheers,
Sabyasachi