How a tiger is not a cheshire cat

It takes a lot of gumption for a tiger to come out of the woods these days. Inevitably, there are curious hordes just waiting to see if his time in the wilderness has changed him permanently. And the battery of cameras intrusively recording every twitch and every tale would daunt even the most seasoned predator. The best plan, of course, is to come out swinging. By doing just that this week, the tiger has convinced diehard fans that he has re-earned his stripes the best way he knows how: with a keen eye, perfect coordination, limitless patience and, of course, a killer instinct. In short, by demonstrating that he is still the king of the jungle.

The tiger has conclusively dispelled any notions of imminent extinction by a stellar performance, appropriately in the very same neck of the woods where he was first anointed lord of the green. It is heartening to note that instead of becoming the subject of conservationists’ concern, he has clawed his way back to the top and become a roaring success. There is indeed nothing as glorious as watching that powerful creature going full pelt, but that poster-boy image proved to be damaging in the long run as it gave a misleading aura of invincibility. The events of the last few years have clearly demonstrated that the only way the tiger can really survive and thrive again is when the public leaves him alone.