Tiger Moon

This book was first published in 1988, has 173 pages, 12 chapters, 69 B/W photos and 1 large map of Royal Chitwan NP. The book is dedicated to 'Rita' and 'Campbell'. In this book, wildlife writer and photographer FIONA SUNQUIST and Professor of wildlife MEL SUNQUIST investigate social behaviour and history of wild tigers. They also come across rhino, sloth bears, elephants, deer and brilliant coloured birds. They worked on tiger ecology project for 2 years. Mel had gone to Nepal in Oct 1974 and Fiona followed him 6 months later. Their camp was on Rapti River. Their transport was an old jeep and 2 female elephants.Extensive preparations had to be made before capturing a tiger and collar it. Searching for the partially drugged tiger on foot was a nerve-wracking business. The sleepy tiger was weighed, measured, photographed and monitored before a collar was put on its neck. When not tracking tigers, they followed der and leopards. They also had to face the heat, flies and floods. At night, they listened to the sounds of the forest and the wildlife or those of neighbouring villages.Tracking tigers had its danger. Once a tigress charged a worker, mauled his buttocks, leg and thigh by jumping high at him in the tree. The elephants stampeded and the equipment was thrown. He was taken by elephant, then jeep and by plane to Kathmandu Hospital. He spent 5 months in hospital, having skin grafts and treatment for infection, but was thankfully back to work. The tigress was found to have cubs and attacked. She was not a man-eater (Man-eaters in Chitwan are darted and moved to a Zoo). It is now known that man-eating evolves, tigers that have lost their home ranges to other tigers.Fiona had to use small grassy hides to photograph wildlife in Chitwan. She was obviously worried about one horn Indian rhino, whose sharp, slashing teeth could cause damage. She was lucky to observe a female leopard and her 3 cubs. Fiona also tracked collared leopards. Many of the leopards died of poisoning. Night tracking of tigers in Moon light helped to see what they were eating. The Roaring tigress called "Ahhaa-oon", deep and hollow, next to their camp at night, putting the tied elephants into panic.Fiona and Mel visit the Chitwan Tiger Tops Lodge to see tigers at a bait site. After visiting a Nepalese wedding, their time in Nepal was coming to an end. Unable to start their jeep, they used elephant ride to Tardi Bazaar and a truck to Bharatpur Airport, and flew to Kathmandu and then Delhi.This is another book on tigers.Some other books of interest are:-(1) With Camera in Tigerland, Champion 1927(2) Wild Animals of Central India, Brander 1927(3) The Tiger of Rajasthan, Col Kesri Singh 1959(4) The World of the Tiger, Perry 1964(5) The Deer and the Tiger, Schaller 1967(6) Tiger Haven, Billy Arjan Singh 1967(7) Tiger, Sankhala 1978(8) Spell of the Tiger, Montgomery 1995(9) Tiger, Karanth 2001(10)Tiger Fire, Valmik Thapar 2013Having born in Kenya, I found this book interesting.

Although this was written 20 years ago it gives a still relevant insight into the lives of tigers and other wildlife in the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. I will be spending time there at the end of the month so it was very interesting to learn more about what I am in for! A very enjoyable book. The last sentence reads "Nepal will not let the tiger slip away". Let's hope not.