Royal Bengal Tigers fight for dominance in Similipal Tiger Reserve
T35 forces T31 shift base, flaunts black pattern on forehead
By Nalinli Sahu
Bhubaneswar, Dec. 18: Wildlife lovers in Odisha got a pleasant piece of news as the state forest department officials shared a photograph showing two tigers fighting for supremacy in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR).
The fight, as per wildlife experts, indicates the growing population of the big cat species in the region. The image of the brawl between the two big cats was shared on STR’s official X handle on Monday.
The clash between the two male tigers came as a pleasant piece of news to wildlife lovers as they viewed it as a positive sign of the rise in the number of big cat populations in the STR.
The wildlife experts, until recently, were disappointed as the STR was often found mentioned in the news for unhindered poaching activities, resulting in the dwindling in the number of many wildlife species.
The fight, as the STR authorities, was between tiger T35 and T31, two male tigers.
“He is T35, a young tiger trying to claim territory. Got into a fight with T31. Seems to be victorious as it confidently patrols its area. Have you marked the dark pattern on the forehead?” tweeted STR on its official X handle.
“We were able to notice the fight between the two big cats for a week from November 9. The image has been shared to create awareness about the Royal Bengal Tigers at Similipal Tiger Reserve, “said Prakash Chandra, Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF), Similipal
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sushant Nanda also shared two separate photographs of the victorious tiger on his X handle. “Dispersing males from Simlipal Tiger Reserve. What’s unusual in the right photo?”
Environmentalist A. K. Singh said, “I congratulate those who managed to take pictures of the fight. The pattern on tigers usually differs. Usually, the fight occurs when a tiger gets separated from its mother and establishes its own territory.”
