Tigers take the spot on top of their food chain as apex predators, meaning animals in their natural environment don’t scare them, except bears, elephants, and a few other species. Tigers and elephants share the same habitat in some areas of Asia and occasionally cross paths. While both species generally avoid each other’s paths, they sometimes clash. A tourist was lucky to watch a close encounter between these two majestic beasts and even captured the scene on video. In this clip, a tiger is seen resting in a bush and minding its business after having a drink from a nearby. A dominant elephant strolls by, changes its direction upon spotting the tiger, and aggressively charges after it. The tiger is not interested in a fight, so it quickly runs away to safety.
Elephants Do Not Like Tigers
Elephants do not like tigers for a good reason: tigers are among the few wild animals that do not fear elephants. Tigers can also attack and injure an adult elephant, but these incidents are rare. An elephant’s size advantage makes it challenging for a tiger to attack without risking injuries. Injures for a solitary hunter like a tiger could compromise hunting abilities and result in death by starvation. Consequently, tigers rarely attack adult elephants unless in self-defense. Nonetheless, tigers will not hesitate to make a meal from a baby elephant. They have also been known to stalk elephant herds, hoping to catch an unguarded young one. Subsequently, elephants generally become cautious when they spot a tiger. Perhaps that explains why the elephant in the clip decides to charge at the tiger.
The Biggest Threat to Tigers
A clash between an elephant and a tiger will likely end with the tiger dead and the elephant nursing injuries. Elephants are among the few animals that kill adult tigers, but they are not the biggest threat to survival. Asiatic wild dogs, also known as dholes, sometimes prey on tigers, but these encounters are rare and usually result in significant losses to the dogs’ pack. Human beings are the most significant threat to tiger populations. Tigers kill many people annually, mainly in Nepal, India, and Southeast Asia. The primary reason for these attacks is humans coming too close to tigers. Surprising a sleeping tiger or tigress with young ones is enough provocation for the tiger to attack and even kill a human. The growing human population and encroachment on tiger habitats are responsible for these attacks. Equally, humans have the potential to wipe out the entire tiger population. In the past century, poaching has reduced wild tiger populations by 97% (from over 100,000 to approximately 3,000). Humans kill tigers for two primary reasons: to protect human or animal life and for monetary gain. Tigers have historically been hunted for their fur, but the Chinese also use it to make traditional medicine.
Up Next:
Watch a Huge Tiger Check His Bath Water Like A Little Kitten.Watch a Desperate Tiger Challenge an Adult ElephantWatch an Elephant Battle a Crocodile to the Death
