Roars of Tigers and Lions

I am sure everybody loves tigers and lions. They are such wonderful animals, also called the big cats. Both the big cats thrive in India, though the lion is confined to one large game reserve at Kanha in Gujarat. The tiger is abundant and there are many species of the Indian tiger. The tiger is available all over India and there are hundreds inhabiting the length and breadth of India. The Big Cats in Folk Lore and Comics

Both the lion and the tiger are part of ancient Indian tales and stories. An image of the she tiger is worshiped in the villages of the Sunderban in Bengal. Rudyard Kipling immortalized the tiger in his ‘Jungle Book’ as Sher Khan. Edgar Rice Burroughs created Tarzan and his two lion pals Numa and Jad-bal-ja . India is also a blessed country as the tiger and lion are both the natural habitats of this land. Really sad, that most western countries, do not have these lovely beasts. The Roars of the Big Cats

Having seen both these big cats in their natural habitats in the game park, I was intrigued whether the lion and the tiger roars are different. Hence I spent some time in the game reserves, trying to figure it out. I visited the lion park at Gir in Gujarat and the tiger sanctuary at Kanha in Madhya Pradesh. Well, the lion has a majestic roar. It’s deep and sonorous. Its reverberation is far and wide. But it does not scare me. The Tiger also roars, but it’s a bit measly. Sometimes it’s almost like a snarl and it does scare me. There is a subtle distinction as well. The Lion will only roar when he wants to, or is provoked. But a tiger will do it off and on as if he wishes to scare his enemies all the time. That is why perhaps the lion is known as the king of beasts.

Last Word The most ferocious of the big cats is the Bengal tiger. He is also the most cunning and frequently turns man eater. Not the lion. He will not attack if not hungry and will let visitors pass him. But both cats are wonderful. The world would be poorer without the roars of these big cats. Frankly I don't want to see them caged in a zoo. They look so sad there and their roars are muted too