Chapter 1 ON THE HUNT In the grasslands of Nepal a tiger stalks her prey Her long black and orange body is well hidden in the tall grass The tiger’s good hearing and eyesight make it easy to follow the deer even if it is dark Her paws pad silently on the rough ground A tiger on the hunt remains hidden What senses do tigers use to hunt 4
Half an hour passes Still the tiger follows waiting for just the right moment It has been nearly a week since she last ate and she is hungry Finally the deer stops for a drink The tiger stops too She crouches ready to spring Suddenly the deer raises its head catching scent of the predator It starts to break into a run but it is too late The tiger pushes off with her powerful hind legs Bounding forward she leaps into the air landing on the deer and knocking it off its feet Her sharp claws hold the struggling animal while she bites down killing the deer Sharp claws are important for helping tigers catch prey 5
Eating Her Fill The tiger drags the carcass to hide it in the thick brush She tears into the meat biting off chunks and scraping them off the bone with her rough tongue When she has eaten her fill she stores the rest for later burying most of it under some dirt and leaves She picks up the remaining piece of meat to carry back to her den stopping along the way for a drink from the river TIGERS RETURN TO THEIR KILLS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS TO FEED 6
Cubs rely on their mother for food They cannot hunt for themselves In the tiger's den two hungry cubs wait She drops the chunk of meat in front of them and watches as they fill their bellies Then she licks the cubs clean As the sun rises high into the sky she curls up with her cubs for nap a long day's
