Cats are among the most admired mammals on the planet. They evolved over the last 40 million years and today there are more than three dozen species of cats in the world. Some of the most common and visible features of cats are round heads with short muzzles, lean and slender bodies and erect ears. They have great senses of sight and hearing and a reasonably good sense of smell. Many cat species across the world are nocturnal, all of them are carnivores and most are ambush hunters. Almost all modern cat species have retractable claws that go back into the sheaths. Cats belong to the family ‘Felidae’ that includes large cats (subfamily ‘Pantherinae’) and small cats (subfamily ‘Felinae’).
The Cat family is represented in Corbett Tiger Reserve by six species that include Tiger and Leopard (large cats) and Jungle Cat, Leopard Cat, Fishing Cat and Rusty Spotted Cat (small cats).
Tiger is one of the most handsome members of the cat family. It is terrestrial in nature, ventures into water in hot weather to cool itself, prefers to hunt large prey including deer, wild boar, monkey and langur, elephant calves, peafowl and occurs in forests, scrublands, grasslands, forest clearings and near human habitations. It is also the most commonly seen member of the cat family in Corbett Tiger Reserve.
This sub-adult male tiger was recently seen in a grassland & scrub habitat, on one of the safaris from Jim’s Jungle Retreat by our Chief Naturalist Manoj Sharma.