By Madan G Singh

The tiger is a magnificent animal. It is also a ferocious beast that is intelligent and cunning. Its natural home is the tropical forests, but it is in abundance only in India. There was a time when tigers roamed the jungles of India and it is estimated that at the turn of the nineteenth century there were nearly 100,000 of them.

However during the days of the Raj, the unabashed hunting tigers by the Princes and Nawabs as a sport led to the mass scale shooting of these animals. It was also a spectacle that was always arranged by the local Raja for his English resident when dozens of these big cats were shot. In addition big game hunters like Jim Corbett and Kenneth Anderson had the dubious distinction of shooting hundreds of these beasts. Jim Corbett however realised his mistake and became a conservationist of wild life later in his life.

The wheel has now turned full circle and the tiger is on the verge of extinction. As per the latest figures released by the government of India the tiger population is reduced to less than 1500. It is a sad commentary that this magnificent animal may just vanish from the face of the earth.

However the government and the WWF have awoken to this fact an launched a tiger conservation program.But again the efficacy of this program launched 40 years back is doubtful as the tiger population despite this project has dwindled to this meager figure.

The reason for this decline in tiger population is easy to understand. In a nutshell it shows a lack of commitment towards saving the tiger. The tiger itself is under siege with his natural habitat destroyed and encroachment on the reserves earmarked for the tiger being populated by human beings.

In addition to the loss of its habitat the tiger has suffered indiscriminate killing by poachers for his skin and the villagers who fear the man eaters. What can the poor tiger do with his natural prey not available he has perforce to turn a man eater, thus inviting the wrath of the hunters and the villagers.

With less than 1500 tigers availed the alarm bells have started ringing. But only a concerted effort can save this magnificent species from becoming extinct. The requirement is to put dedicated men in the field as part of the tiger conservation project. The men detailed must have missionary zeal and at the same time take the help of the local villagers as well as make them understand the significance of saving the tiger.

But all is not lost. Even now the Indian Government can awaken TO THIS PRODIGIOUS TASK AND THE TIGER MAY STILL BE Saved FROM EXTINCTION. But that will call for a fresh approach, there is no other way. In addition foreign experts need to made part of the Tiger project. We cannot allow this magnificent beast to become part of the museum of natural history.

By Steve Challis

The Cheetah

The Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, is sometimes referred to as the smallest of the Big Cats. It is not a member of the Big Cat genus, Panthera. These are sometimes also called the roaring cats. Cheetahs do not roar, but can make a wide range of sounds. Once when some visitors were viewing the Cheetahs at Monarto Zoo, they were astounded to hear this large animal me-ow just like a domestic Pussy Cat.

Unusual Cat

The Cheetah does not behave like most cats. It does not climb trees, and its claws are only partly retractable. Instead, its design appears to have sacrificed several of the abilities of most cats to gain extra speed.

Speed

The Cheetah appears to be the fastest land animal over a short distance. They can run at over 100 Kilometres an hour (60 Miles an hour). They also accelerate extremely quickly. Their acceleration is much faster than most cars.

Hunting

Cheetahs mostly live in areas with long grass so they are well camouflaged and their prey cannot see them. They attempt to get close to the small antelope or other medium sized animal, and then catch it with their phenomenal speed. No animal can outrun a Cheetah over a short distance, but most of their usual prey animals can run quickly and keep it up for much further than a Cheetah. When the Cheetah catches up with the prey it attempts to knock down the animal with a blow from its paw. The Cheetah uses up a lot of energy in each chase, and needs to rest before the next one. Only about half the chases are successful.

Eating

Once the Cheetah has killed, it has to eat quickly. There are many other animals that will come along and chase off the Cheetah to steal its meal. Leopards, lions, Hyenas Hunting Dogs and Leopards will all do this. An injured Cheetah will not be able to hint effectively, and they abandon their meal rather than fight and risk an injury. I have even seen footage of a single Human chasing off a Cheetah from its kill.

Man Eating

Humans are not a menu item for the Cheetah. An adult Human is certainly on the big size for this cat to tackle. However, although I have never seen a report of an attack, young children out alone could be at risk.

Vulnerable

There are perhaps 10,000 Cheetahs left in the wild. This is about a tenth of the number that existed a hundred years ago. Their range is greatly reduced; there are no Cheetahs left in India and very few in Iran. The genetic variation of the surviving Cheetahs is very low. The main threat is habitat loss and competition with Human Beings both for space and for prey species.

By James Arthur Mwangi

Tigers also known as Panthera tigris largest of the four big cats. They are natives of Eastern and Southern Asia. Their name comes from Greek word tigris, meaning 'arrow' in reference to the animals speed and also the origin for the name of the Tigris river. Their height is around 3.3 metres or 11 ft and weigh up to 300 kilograms. They are mostly recognized by pattern of dark vertical stripes that lies on top of reddish-orange fur with lighter under parts. The most numerous tiger subspecies is the Bengal tiger while the largest subspecies is the Siberian tiger.

Tigers' habitat must include sufficient forest cover, water and abundant supply of preys. They like water unlike other cats which tend to avoid it. They spend sometimes in pools to cool off their bodies when there is extreme heat. They are very excellent swimmers and can swim up to four miles and even drag dead preys across lakes. They have powerfully built legs and shoulders which quantifies their ability to drag or swim across lakes with preys. Another of their distinctive feature is that they are the heaviest of all wild cats.

Tigers mostly feed on wild boars, chital, water and domestic buffalo. Sometimes they prey on fellow cats like leopards and other animals like crocodiles, pythons, young elephants and rhinos. However tigers are very solitary animals. Just like other big cats, tigers have a white spot on the backs of their ears. These spots, called ocelli, serve a social function, by communicating the animal's mental state to conspecifics in the gloom of dense forest or in tall grass.