Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/04/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Machali is India's best known tigress, and at around 15 years she is very old. She has raised 5 litters of cubs, and a large proportion of the tigers at Ranthambhore and Sariska are her descendants, one way or the other. A few years ago it was estimated that she has directly or indirectly been responsible in bringing in around USD10-15mm per year into the local economy for the last 15 years, which is probably an underestimate. Anyway, every year I see her I presume it is the last time, and I bid her adieu, but she is not dead yet, and there we have a story with ethical and cautionary overtones. Machali has lost most of her canines and cannot hunt normal prey. When I saw her last year she looked to be on her last legs, she could hardly lift her head, and I really thought I would never see her again, as you can read: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2011/Ranthambhore_20110305_1450-Edit.jpg.html At this time (last year), because of her general fame, the Wildlife Department decided to start feeding her, which they have continued to do to this day. Her territory, though shrinking is good, with plenty of prey, water and cover. If she had been allowed "to pass gentle into the good night", another tigress capable of bearing young would have moved in, for the ultimate good of a highly endangered species. This episode also raises another couple of ethical questions - having started to feed her, do they stop? If they do stop, do they also euthanize her? Anyway, we did see her this year, hale and hearty, looking well fed (of course!), in the heart of her territory at a water hole called Lakarda. She came out of the grass behind our jeep: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2012/Ranthambhore_20120402_0152.jpg.html She warily kept an eye on us as she started moving towards the water: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2012/Ranthambhore_20120402_0154.jpg.html At one point, she stopped - but without taking her eyes off us: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2012/Ranthambhore_20120402_0166.jpg.html She came close and stopped again - this is uncropped: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2012/Ranthambhore_20120402_0181.jpg.html She then stopped on the rock next to the water and looked around with a regal bearing, fit for the queen she is: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2012/Ranthambhore_20120402_0195.jpg.html Finally, she turned around for a last look, and then disappeared into the vegetation: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2012/Ranthambhore_20120402_0204.jpg.html Please see LARGE. Comments and Criticism, as ever, welcome. Cheers Jayanand