Photo Feature
The Great Outdoors
In one of Satpura Tiger Reserve’s spectacular meadows, a young leopard Panthera pardus fusca, surveys its domain. Like the tiger’s stripes, a leopard’s rosettes help break the outline of its body in tall grass, enabling it to launch surprise attacks. Dr. George Schaller, legendary conservation biologist, suggests that variations in markings could possibly serve as recognition signals between animals. Leopards give tigers a wide berth and will scamper up a nearby tree to avoid being overpowered by its much more powerful cousin. The white spots behind the ears seem to serve a similar purpose for both cats.
Photo: Surya Ramachandran