Tigers are awesome at camouflage
The splendid tiger is a master at disappearing into the tangled bush. To spot one when it doesn’t want to be seen, is nigh impossible.
Tigers prefer to walk along dappled forest paths or dry river beds. A professional local guide/naturalist will be well-versed in a resident cat’s movements. The guide will look for footprints in the sand. A footprint could indicate not only the size of the tiger, but how recently it padded by. Claw marks on a tree trunk are a sign of tiger presence in the area. Feces are another good way of telling if there is a tiger in the vicinity and how recently.
Once a tiger disappears into the jumbled undergrowth, only the sounds of the jungle will help an experienced naturalist track its progress. Alarm calls of langur monkeys and the barking of chital deer can indicate the tigers location. The guttural squeak of the sambar deer is also a telling sound. When a tiger’s been on the hunt, the jungle will explode with sound from many different animals.
Best time to see a tiger in the wild
During peak summer (April to June), when the forest is dry . The grass will be short, and there’ll be fewer leaves on the trees. The big cats will search for water to drink. If there’s a nice shady spot, where a tree casts a shadow over the waterhole, the tiger will lie in the water to cool off.
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