Devoted Mothers
Ranthambhore National Park Tiger cub are tiny blind and helpless when they are born. But a tigress is a loving mother and brings up her cubs with great care and effort. Despite this usually only two make it to adulthood from a normal litter of six. Until they are about three month old the cubs are not allowed to trail the mother and food is brought to them. Their lair has to be frequently shifted because if detected they may be killed by other predator and scavengers and even by rival male tigers. They are trained and disciplined to be quite while the mother is away on hunting errands. A carefully worked out scheme of vocalization further guide the cubs to be lie low or to respond and come out to meet the mother. Their first lessons in hunting consist of learning to pounce to their mother tail which she shift to dodge them and playing hide and seek with her they learn to stalk by searching for mother who hides under cover and practice by stalking each other training hunt take place in bushy cover during daytime pursuing deer fawns, langur, or monkeys foraging on the ground. The cubs are taught to keep clear of man the most crafty of all predators.
A tracker employed in a park once went surveying for water holes during the dry season as he peered over a pool form a nullah bank, he was charged by a young tiger. The height of the bank allowed him just enough time to scramble up a slanting tree on the bank from there he could see the young tiger’s mother with two more cub lying in yet another pool near by The cub were about a year old and too grown up for the tracker comfort. The young tiger repeatedly came charging up the thick slanting stem but could not reach the man. The mother beckoned the cub by calling and when he did not give up. She got up and moved toward the cub. There upon the young tiger thought it prudent to obey and joined his mother. All the four then disappeared in the bush and the man safely walked back to the park headquarters to recount the tale which was verified from clear pugmark on the ground and claw marks on the tree stem.