Bheem is very territorial. India: RARE photos show notorious Bheem the Bengal tiger show off his split nostril battle scars as he remains the dominant
Bheem is very territorial. India: RARE photos show notorious Bheem the Bengal tiger show off his split nostril battle scars as he remains the dominant male in his reserve. Bheem the true survivor received his wounds by asserting his dominance over other rival male tigers but is rarely photographed as he hates oncoming vehicles and tourists and is known for charging angrily at jeeps. However, this lucky photographer was able to capture him up close. Bheem, who is thought to be over six years old, is one of the largest tigers in India?s Bandhavgarh Reserve. He is also one of the toughest and strongest tigers, frequently engaging in territorial displays and fights. Bheem is a Bengal tiger which can grow to 83 inches long, with the addition of 43-inch tail. They can also weigh up to 570 pounds and have canine teeth that exceed three-inches. These images were captured by wildlife photographer Sachin Rai (47) in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, India using a Canon Mark IV camera. ?This tiger was always known to be shy and wasn?t very comfortable with tourist vehicles,? said Sachin. ?He would often snarl or charge at vehicles. We drove up to a water body one summer afternoon and we saw him sitting next to the pool of water. ?As soon as we stopped the vehicle, he snarled at us and then got up, snarled more as if telling us that he was uncomfortable with our presence. ?We soon backed up giving him space and to make him comfortable. He then went back to sleep. ?The shot shows the character of the animal. Most tigers in the tourism zones are used to vehicles and very seldom get uncomfortable with the safari vehicles. But some tigers are known to have less patience. ?It is quite an exhilarating experience to see a massive but charismatic cat so close up is something one should experience in their lifetime. ?It is not often that I am happy with such shots because it also means that the animal was disturbed by your presence, or they snarl when you cross the boundary o
Size: 3349px × 4175px
Photo credit: © Media Drum World / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: bengal, bheem, fight, india, tiger
