As the king of the forest, tigers sit at the top of the energy pyramid, sparse in numbers and huge in territory. Theoretically, the territory of a female breeding tiger reaches about 450 square kilometers. In other words, 450 square kilometers of forest can support a female breeding tiger.
But wild tigers are rare. Due to poaching, lack of prey, human-tiger conflict, and habitat loss and fragmentation, the number of wild tigers in the world has dropped from about 100,000 in 1900 to about 3,890 today, and the distribution area has decreased by about 93%. Therefore, with a small number of individuals and a large territory, the probability of encountering tigers in the wild is very small.
Although wildlife scientists are allowed to carry guns, it is difficult for most people to remain calm when encountering tigers and kill them in one hit. And most of the tragedies happen to people with weapons, and hurried shooting provokes a tiger to be more aggressive, especially if it's wounded. So what should you do when you encounter a tiger in the wild?
To avoid encountering tigers by chance, certain precautions are required. First of all, try not to go to the forest where tigers have been found recently. If you must go, try to drive where you can drive. Where you must get off the car and walk, make sure there are at least two people traveling together. Second, wear a tiger repelling tool. The most commonly used tool is the fireworks flare, which when opened can spew flames and emit a dazzling light to scare away wild animals. Third, keep an eye on tiger tracks. If you find fresh tiger footprints, especially within 24 hours, you need to be extra vigilant and take precautions. Fourth, it is best to avoid crouching in the forest. Tigers are naturally afraid of human shapes, but crouching people look more like tiger prey. Many tiger killings happen when people crouch or fall down. Fifth, do not bring dogs into the forest. In fact, tigers are particularly fond of killing dogs, and can go on for hours following a person with a dog undetected, then choose to kill the dog silently when it leaves its owner. If the first attack fails, the dog will return to its owner to seek shelter, and the excited tiger will follow, threatening human safety.
The most important thing is to abide by the tiger's bottom line. Their bottom line is two, kids and food. Never go near a tiger cub. As the largest feline carnivore, the determination of the tigress to protect its children is unquestionable. When encountering a tiger cub in the wild without the care of a tigress, you must never try to capture it, as the mother may be lurking nearby. It is not easy to approach the tiger's prey, let alone take it as one's own. Humans will swear to the death to protect their property, and tigers will fight to protect their prey. Regardless of whether there are fresh tiger footprints at the scene, the tiger may be guarding near the prey; even if the tiger is not near the prey, the tiger can follow the traces of the prey to find the residence of the person after the prey is taken away.
But what should you do if you are unfortunate enough to meet a tiger? When encountering a human, the tiger's reaction is roughly divided into three stages.
1. Warning demonstration stage.
At this time, humans should leave the dangerous area as soon as possible, but remember not to turn your back to the tiger, not to panic, and not to run away from the scene quickly. According to a community survey conducted by WCS in 2018, 7.0% of herdsmen or their family members had seen tigers in the wild, most of which were collecting understory products or tending livestock in the forest. The tiger caused great psychological fear to witnesses, but none of them attacked anyone.
2. Continue the approach stage.
Sometimes, humans don't properly understand a tiger's demonstration and move on, leading to too close to its cub, prey, or the tiger itself. At this point, the tiger will be forced to take further action in self-defense, or even attack. Tigers are afraid of noise and noise. When meeting a tiger, it's best to make as much noise as possible. At this time, you can try to speak loudly, or knock on metal, trees, or fire flares or light firecrackers to drive away tigers.
3. Initiate the attack stage.
If an attack is unavoidable, the tiger will usually knock the person down first. If it doesn't kill the person in the first place, the person still has a chance to survive. If the tiger keeps attacking you after knocking you down, you need to protect your neck first to avoid being bitten by the tiger. Also use any weapon within reach, such as flame flares, sticks, rocks, etc.
