JAIPUR/ALWAR: A wildlife enthusiast out in Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) around 6.30am on Tuesday morning photographed tigress ST-3 killing a leopard and carrying it in its mouth across a road in the Kala Kuan area of the reserve.
“It is probably the only record of a live sighting of a tiger killing a leopard on camera ,” Abhimanyu Singh Rajvi told HT. “We were trying to spot the tiger when we suddenly heard a very loud roar from behind our vehicle. When we looked back, we saw ST-3j umping on a tree to catch the leopard. She pushed the leopard away from the tree and then jumped on the animal from about 10 feet.”
The tiger and the leopard came rolling down; the tigress then killed the leopard, around 1-2 years old, and carried it away in its mouth. DCF (DFO), Sariska, Manoj Parashar, was also in the vehicle when the pictures were clicked.
RS Shekhawat, STR field director, said tigers kill any other carnivore in their area in order to eliminate competition and to ensure the survival of their cubs. Shekhawat served at the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve for five years before taking charge of Sariska in 2011.