My Science School

The largest brackish winter lagoon in Asia, the Chiluka Lake in Odisha spreads across more than 1,000 sq km comprises wide areas of manhes, lowlands and plenty of islands The fresh water from inland rivers and saline water from Bay of Bengal mix together to result in a unique ecosystem that supports rich biodiversity One of the largest wintering grounds in the country for migratory birds Chilika attracts tens of thousands of winged visitors even from as far as Mongolia and remote parts of Russia. The binds are ably supported by marine life marked by a variety of small fishes. The Chilika Lake comprises the chilika Bird Sanctuary and Nalbana Island also a bird sanctuary.

Wildlife

The birds one can spot in the region include ducks, geese, shelducks, pochards, flamingoes, grebes, doves, swifts, cuckoos, rails, crakes, storks, pelicans, bitterns, herons, egrets, ibises. cormorants, plovers, lapwings, jacanas, godwits, sandpipers, stints, snipes, redshanks, gulls, terms, vultures, kites, buzzards, eagles, owls. barbets, bee eaters, kingfishers, falcons, weavers. pipits, wagtails, larks, warblers, swallows. bulbuls, babblers, starlings and mynas, The area nurtures not just birds but also mammal species such as cheetal blackbuck mongoose and porcupines, and reptiles such as snakes, turtles and lizards. Some of the marine creatures found here are sharks, dolphins, stingrays, eels, herrings, anchovies, carbs. catfish, seahorses, mackerels, tunas and barracudas.

A million splendid birds!

The annual bird count held by the Chilika Wildlife Division early this year brought ecstatic news to bird lovers and conservationists. More than 11 lakh birds spanning as many as 184 species had arrived in Chilika. This is an increase from the previous years 10-lakh-odd birds from 183 species. Reports said that five rare great knot (a small wader) were sighted after a gap of five years in the region. The birds found hearty meals such as fish, prawns, frogs, snakes and molluscs in the open wetlands. The increase in bird numbers is said to be a reflection of a certain change in the lake. Previously, illegal prawn cultivation had taken up a part of the waterbody. This is believed to have ended after a high court order, resulting in more space for the birds.

The dolphin story

The Irrawaddy dolphin is an endangered species. And according to the report of a monitoring survey 2018, the Chilika lake emerged as the "single largest habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins in the world. The number of the dolphin population was estimated to be 155. Meanwhile, in May this year, media reports indicated that a research project undertaken the Indian Institute of Technology Madras helped in "tripling the population of the Irrawaddy dolphins". in addition to a seven-fold increase in the fish population at Chilika. The sand bars were widening and the position of the sea mouth was changing, leading to the gradual degradation of the lake and calling for an urgent need to save its ecosystem. The researchers developed a dredging methodology and performed it with minimum impact on the ecosystem", to successful and happy results.

 

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Minks are small mammals, native to the Northern Hemisphere. They belong to the weasel family. Both the European minks and the American minks are valued for their luxurious fur.

Why is coronavirus in minks a concern?

Scientists say minks may be more susceptible to the coronavirus than other animals due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In mink farms, where thousands of animals are kept in close proximity, COVID-19 can spread rapidly from animal to animal.

Unlike dogs, cats and some other animals, which show only mild symptoms, minks can get very sick and even die from the infection. So far, minks are the only animals known to both catch the virus from people and transmit it to them.

Which are the other places where minks have contracted COVID-19?

Coronavirus cases have also been detected in farmed minks in four other European countries: the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Italy. Millions of animals have been culled in these places too. In the U.S., more than 15,000 minks have died of the coronavirus since August, and authorities are keeping about a dozen farms under quarantine while they investigate the cases.

 

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Denmark's decision to cull millions of minks over coronavirus fear has shocked animal lovers around the world. While the scientific community is divided over the validity of the concern, we will take a look at what is culling and why it is carried out in the first place.

Denmark began culling millions of minks over coronavirus fear last month. A mutated form of coronavirus that can spread to humans was found among minks in hundreds of fur farms in the country. More than a dozen people were found to have caught the infection from the animals. However, there is no evidence that the mutations that originated in minks pose an increased threat to humans.

Denmark is the world's biggest producer of mink fur and its main export markets are China and Hong Kong. Mink farms have been found to be reservoirs of the coronavirus with over 200 of the 1,200 farms affected. Danish scientists are worried that genetic changes in mink-related form of the virus have the potential to render future vaccines less effective. Global health officials are now considering minks a potential risk, particularly in the midst of a resurgence of the virus in the human population. Denmark decided to cull all the minks in the country (instead of just the ones in the affected farms) as a precautionary step to protect people from contracting the virus. But later rolled back the order as it did not have the legal basis to kill all the animals.

While some scientists feel the concerns over mutated strain are exaggerated, others think the virus could jump from minks to other animals. Let's take a look at what culling is and why is it being done...

What is culling?

Culling is the organised and systematic elimination of sick or surplus farm or wild animals and birds, Culling or the selective slaughtering is carried out by authorised wildlife officials with proper permits and approvals.

Why are they culled?

• Mass killing of birds and animals are carried out when they are infected with a contagious disease. It is done to avoid the spread of the disease to other animals and humans. For instance, in the United Kingdom badger culling has been carried out for years to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Badger is a carrier of bTB.

• Aggressive invaders, such as invasive birds that take over nesting sites or attack native birds, are culled to save the local ecological balance.

• Culling is carried out to keep certain animal and bird populations in check. Unusual population growth may cause an imbalance in local ecology, disrupting food sources and other essential resources. In certain parts of Australia, kangaroos are considered vermins (pests), because they damage crops and compete with livestock for scarce resources. Kangaroos are involved in more than 80% of vehicle animal collisions there. In some places of the country, kangaroos are said to outnumber humans.

How is culling perceived by experts?

Culling has always been controversial. On one side, conservationists support it for the common good of all the species in an ecosystem. They perceive culling as a necessary means to protect native biodiversity. But on the other side, animal activists protest over the effectiveness and humaneness of different methods of culling. They oppose when governments resort to culling as a short-term measure Opposition also comes from the perception that every animal should have the right to live.

 

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Like all felines (including the domestic cat), the lion’s tongue is covered in small, hook-shaped growths called papillae, which point towards the back of the mouth, and are used as a brush to separate flesh from fur and bone, particularly when the cat is feeding on a humongous kill (wildebeests, buffaloes, zebras…) – in the case of smaller prey items (rabbits, rodents, birds…), the carcass is devoured whole, with only a few or no bone splinters left.

Moreover, these papillae have the feeling of a hairbrush, resulting in the tongue becoming a rough surface – they’re sort of like hairs because they’re made of keratin, which is the same protein a human’s hairs and fingernails are composed of.

In the process, the feeding lion consumes the skin completely, and ensures itself that it never swallows (even accidentally!) small, pointy bones that could rip the cat’s throat, and that the meat is tenderized, which renders it efficiently digested.

Now, a lot of lions have seen to be licking prey they’ve just hunted, before killing and eating them. This mostly happens when the prey (usually an ungulate youngster) is brought alive by the lionesses to their cubs, so that the latter can hone their hunting skills – in the process, these cubs are too young to understand the art of hunting and the throttling bite that is essential to make a kill, so they instead resort to play with the animal by chasing it around; and when they subdue it, they don’t immediately kill it, but rather lick it, possibly as a means to display youth innocence.

This behavior mainly occurs with lion cubs (the youngsters, naturally), but it’s seen in adult lions too – in this case, it’s not always clear why. In my opinion, it could be psychological, in a way that the hunting lion either resorts to licking the animal in order to calm it – either it’s something done prior to giving the prey a quick death, or because something snapped inside the lion, a friendly, empathetic thought that made it reconsider its ferocious behavior, particularly since the hunted animal frantically panics from being attacked by a predator, emitting gut-wrenching cries for help –, or it’s just playing with its food (like house cats do), perhaps to torment the prey or simply tire it out so as to not risk injury. But I’m just speculating.

In the end, no one knows exactly why lions (the adults, to be precise) resort to licking their prey a lot while it’s still alive, prior to eating it.

 

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Do you really want to know if a mother cat would suffer if she loses one of her kids?

Mama left her kittens inside a box at around 7am but when she returned, just five hours later, she discovered that her two kittens were already dead.

She was found by locals pacing back and forth, meowing incessantly near her lifeless offspring.

Both kittens were stabbed to death by an unknown assailant.

The mother refused to leave, even after locals tried to help her.

So, back to the question…

There are some typical behaviors that a mother cat may exhibit when dealing with the death of a offspring. One of the first things she would to is licking her kitten(s).

You see, licking the kittens is the mother cat’s instinctive behavior after giving birth. It will rigorously lick and groom each kitten. Licking the kittens stimulates breathing, helps to remove any remaining placenta and helps to remove liquid from the kitten’s lungs. The grooming can look quite violent and vigorous but it is normal and necessary.

When a mother cat sees its kitten not moving or breathing, she will lick and cuddle the kitten to try to get it to respond. It may do it for quite some time until she gives up and abandons the kitten to take care of the surviving ones.

Some cats are very trusting to their owners in times of grief or loss. Not all cats do this but some may lay their kitten at your feet for help or empathy. Many cat owners have experienced this and interpret it as their cat’s way of showing that she trusts you to fix her young.

In contrast, some mother cats are overprotective of their young. They will not allow anyone, even their pet parent to come near their kittens, dead or alive.

Sometimes a mother cat will dig the ground where she will bury her dead kitten. She will then cover the body with mud and might lay on the spot for several hours. Some mother cats who have other kittens to attend to, however, will simply remove the dead kitten and abandon it. This is to separate the dead far from the live ones to avoid any health risks.

And sometimes, she would eat her kitten. It may sound gross but some mother cats eat their kittens when they seem to be dead. Eating their dead kittens will provide nutrients that will be dissolved in the mother’s milk and will be beneficial for other kittens. It is very rare but surely it happens and, although this is a distressing sight for humans, this is a normal behavior for animals.

So, answering the question: she surely will suffer. A lot.

 

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Kangaroos are famous for their means of locomotion: hopping! They can reach speeds of 60kph, clearing more than 8m with a single hop!

Their muscular tail is used for balance when hopping, and as another limb when moving about. They also use their tail when swimming; that’s right – kangaroos are good swimmers! They swim to avoid predators, and can use their forepaws to drown pursuers.

Kangaroos are famous for their forward-opening pouch, where the joey (baby kangaroo) develops and suckles. A female kangaroo is known as a 'flyer' or a 'doe' and a male kangaroo a 'buck' or a 'boomer' (hence the nickname of the Australian men's basketball team, the Boomers). They live in social groups called mobs.

 

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When we lose someone we love we grieve. But this may not be unique to humans. There's a lot of evidence to show that animals across several species not just grieve but also have rituals around death - drawing our attention to be kind to all creatures

Elephants and others

Among the most cited examples of animal grief is that of the elephant. There are many reports of elephants mourning their deceased relatives. In one instance, when the matriarch (female head) of one group died at least three matriarchs from other groups visited the dead, constantly touching or moving around the body. Chimpanzees too have exhibited death related behaviour. For example some chimpanzees checked for signs of life in a dead family member and also tried to clean the dead animals fur. Apparently, for many days, the family members did not go to the spot the relative died in. Some cetaceans (a group of aquatic mammals) also are said to show signs of mourning. Only a couple of years ago did we read about an orca (killer whale) mother carrying her dead calf in the waters for at least 17 days across 1,000 miles before finally letting go of it Scientists called it "a tour of grief. Though some researchers have attributed animal grief to the size of the animal's brain, this theory does not hold water in all cases because small creatures and birds too have exhibited grief related behaviour For instance, magpies - considered intelligent birds - have been known to bury the dead under twigs. grass, etc., and this is called a "magpie funeral". Interestingly, studies say that birds such as crows hold funerals (gathering around a dead bird) more to assess the danger (such as a predator) in the area of death rather than to mourn.

Is it really grief?

A few scientists disagree with attributing grief to animal behaviour. They point out that this theory is not built on scientific evidence because while the behaviour itself is evident the motive remains unclear. The attribution is problematic because the case then is built simply on human belief systems. Some have countered this by saying that though it is good to be cautious while explaining non human animal behaviour, the lack of scientific evidence cannot discount the animal's loss or diminish its pain. As one professor puts it beautifully, the question is not Do animals grieve? But 'How do animals grieve?

 

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Balloons, glitters and confetti add colour to our celebrations. But did you know while we treat ourselves to these small pleasures, we inadvertently pollute Earth? After all, what goes up must come down. Free-flying balloons and confetti ultimately become litter and put animals and birds at risk.

Balloons

Balloons are of two types - latex and mylar. Although latex balloons are promoted as biodegradable, they take anywhere between six months and four years to decompose. Mylar balloons are composed of synthetic nylon with a metallic coating. They are non biodegradable.

Balloons (when released into the sky, say as part of events or campaigns) travel thousands of miles, capable of polluting the most remote and pristine places. Deflated balloons that settle on land and sea surface are mistaken for food and eaten by animals and birds. They get lodged in their digestive tract, causing obstruction, loss of nutrition, internal injury, starvation, and death. String or ribbon often found attached to balloons can cause entanglement in animals, again leading to their death. Animals such as sea turtles are at special risk because the balloons resemble their favourite food - jellyfish. Seabirds are not safe either. According to a study released in 2019, if a seabird swallows a balloon, it's 32 times more likely to die than if it had gulped down a piece of hard plastic.

Glitter and confetti

Confetti has been used for thousands of years. The tradition can be traced back to the pagan times when people tossed grains and sweets during weddings and festivals. It has been adopted by many cultures around the world. But in recent years, it has taken a different form. We toss confetti and glitter at weddings and stage performances today, which simply disperse microplastics everywhere. Because confetti and glitter are made of plastic - polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), respectively.

Microplastics are plastic particles that are less than 5mm in diameter and are an emerging environmental issue. Glitter is usually less than 1mm in diameter and is used in a wide array of products, including cosmetics. It leads into the environment and often ends up in the oceans. It can be accidentally consumed by plankton, fish, shellfish, seabirds, and other marine life. When microplastic builds up in their systems, it can lead to death.

Further, PET, the plastic most glitter is made from, can break down and release chemicals that can disrupt human and animal hormones.

 

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Cheetahs have two tear lines that run from the inside corners of their eyes down to the outside edges of their mouth. These marks help reflect the sun’s glare whenever the cats are off hunting during the sunniest of days – in that way, cheetahs don’t get blinded by direct sunlight like we do, even in midday.

The tear lines work in a similar way to the black marks worn by rugby players. They’re also helpful features for the cheetah in order to stay focused on its prey.

There is a Zulu folklore tale about how the cheetah got its tear lines: once, a hunter was too lazy to be about his business, wishing that someone could get the meat for him. Soon, he saw a female cheetah making a successful kill and feeding it to her cubs, and all of a sudden decided to steal all these cubs in order to train them for hunting.

Soon, when the mother cheetah was away, the wicked hunter accomplished his terrible deed, kidnapping all the cubs without leaving a single one. Once the mother found her babies gone, she became heartbroken, searched for them far and wide, and kept calling and crying all day and night, so long and so hard, until her tears made dark stains down her cheeks.

Soon, the elders got wind of the event and went to punish the lazy hunter, who had also broken the tribe’s most sacred traditions – in Zulu culture, it’s tradition that a hunter must use only his own strength and skill, otherwise dishonor comes. But even when the wicked man was eventually forced to bring the cubs back to their mother, nevertheless her long weeping stained her face forever – and those tears are worn by her children (modern-day cheetahs) to this day.

According to the locals, this tale carries a moral: a cheetah wearing the tear stains on its face is a reminder for hunters that it is not honorable to hunt in a non-traditional, inconvenient way.

 

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• Lizards can detach their tails. Most people know this, but lizards have a special defense mechanism. They can easily detach their tails in order to escape predators. Most predators will bite the lizard on its tail, so the lizard will detach it in order to get away. The tail will also move after being detached. This is a reflex caused by the nerves in the tail. The movement distracts the predator so the lizard can scurry away. Even though their tail is severed, it usually does not cause any sort of pain. Not to mention, the tail will grow back in a matter of time.


• The biggest lizard in the world is the Komodo Dragon. These huge lizards can grow to be 10 feet long! That’s bigger than some alligators! They also weigh around 154 pounds.


• Chameleons change their color based on their mood and temperature. Most people think chameleons change their colors in order to blend into their surroundings. However, science says otherwise. Chameleons actually change their color in order to change their body temperature and to show their mood. When excited, chameleons will change into a brighter color. When scared, they will darken their colors. Both females and males can change color, but males do it more often.


• There are over 4,600 different species of lizard.


• Geckos lick their eyeballs in order to clean them. Most geckos do not possess eyelids, so they cannot blink. Blinking is used to moisturize the eyes and clear them of any debris. Since geckos lack eyelids, they use their tongues to clean and moisten their eyeballs.


• Horned Lizards can shoot blood out of their eyes. Horned Lizards have a remarkable defense mechanism. Not only are they covered in sharp spines, but they also can shoot blood out of their eyes! The blood tastes fowl, the predator will usually back off.

 

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Vegetation is surprisingly good at feeding and creating big animals.

The largest in the ape family - the Mountain Gorilla - is a vegetarian, eating only grass and vegetation. Despite their plant-based diet, they are up to 10 times stronger than a human, and have a bite force twice as strong as a lion!

The largest land mammal - the African Savannah Elephant - is a vegetarian, too. We all know about the legendary strength, intelligence and emotional capabilities of these giants.

The largest animal ever known to walk the earth - Argentinosaurus - also a vegetarian. At a mind-boggling length of up to 39.7 metres (130 ft), and a staggering 96.4 tonnes (106.3 short tons), this leviathan shows us how plant material can be more than enough to provide an animal with sufficient nutrients to thrive on planet earth.

Cows, along with many, many other animals, eat plant matter to feed not only themselves, but their vital gut microflora. In fact, most plant matter eaten by any of us higher order animals, is not actually “eaten” by us. It’s eaten (broken down) by our intestinal bacteria buddies. We then use what they have broken down, while also eating them (the bacteria), to get our nutrients. It’s an incredibly interesting situation in there!

That’s why it’s such a big deal (read: digestive… shall we say “upset”) when you eat a type of food you are not used to, or to which you are “intolerant.” Because you don’t have the right bacterial colonies to break it down, your system can’t deal with it. Same thing when we abruptly change the food type of our pets or livestock. Changes to the diet must be made gradually so as to build up sufficient bacterial workers in the gut to utilize the new food source.

Cows can grow so big because their digestive system is balanced in a way that allows them, like many other big, strong, behemoths today and in earth’s history, to utilize plants in order to live long and prosper.

 

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While many animals in the world look dangerous and live up to their frightening appearances, there are many others which pose little to no threat to us humans.

Here’s my list of 7 scary looking animals that are practically harmless.

1. Gharial

Many people would be right to fear a gharial if they’ve heard stories about how other crocodilians kill hundreds of humans each year, but is this slim snouted creature really as dangerous as its cousins?

In truth, gharials only hunt small prey like fish and frogs as their jaws are too slim and weak to take down larger quarry. As a result gharials are unable to attack large prey, namely humans.

2. Milk snake

While, the milk snake may bear a striking resemblance to the venomous coral snake they are completely harmless. They have no venom and are actually quite docile in nature which makes them pretty good pets for reptile lovers.

3. Sand tiger shark

Most people know that sharks in general don’t deserve their fearsome reputation as an eating monsters but very few of them are completely harmless. While, the great white, tiger and bull shark have all been known to kill people, the sand tiger shark is actually completely harmless.

This shark’s barbed jaws may look threatening but these scary looking teeth are exactly what keep this fish from being even a slight danger towards us. The shark’s mouth is too small to cause a human fatality so only squid and fish fall victim to this shark’s jaws. While this shark is very docile there have been a few attacks when it’s been provoked…

4. Goliath bird eater

Goliath bird eating spiders may have venom. They may take down small birds and they may be freaking massive but are they really a danger towards humans?

In truth this tarantula’s venom is harmless and is quite similar to how a wasp’s sting would feel. Main difference is that these spiders only bite in self defense, so I’m pretty sure you won’t be bothered by this giant.

5. Manta rays

Manta rays are very large and if you have ever heard of sting rays, you might be frightened by this aquatic creature. Manta rays are actually gentle giants and are only filter feeders, meaning they eat really small prey. To make things better, they don’t have stingers so divers have nothing to fear!

6. Thorny devil

These lizards may be small but I’m pretty sure most of us would be scared if this spiky reptile came charging. Luckily this animal only feeds on insects and when it does feel threatened it squirts blood from its eyes…which may seem gross but wouldn’t really harm a human being. To make things even better, these scary looking lizards run at the first sight of a human being!

7. Basking shark

The second-largest shark species is pretty harmless despite its frightening set of jaws. Like many of the ocean’s largest predators, this creature is a filter feeder and that means humans aren’t on the menu!

 

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Luckily for us, we don't even have to imagine: we have examples of this happening in the real world, and right here, in the Americas, very close to us.

Can you imagine entire civilizations developing without the help of horses?

Pre-Columbian civilizations not only did not know horses, but had no other means of riding. The reason is quite obvious, in fact: whether in the Amazon rainforest or in the Andes, the terrain was anything but friendly to riding animals.

Even so, our indigenous ancestors managed to domesticate llamas. More precisely, the Inca people. The animal was, without a doubt, one of the most important elements for the development of this people. In addition to pack animals, they served as a source of food, wool and leather. The curious thing is that, unlike their relatives, camels, neither llamas, nor their close cousins, alpacas, are useful as mounts.

They are also not very useful for combat.

Well, except, of course, as pack animals. Although with a much smaller capacity than that of the old world horses and cattle, llamas and alpacas do very well in the steep and rocky terrains of the Andes.

But okay. The question is animals truly used in combat. In this case, the best, biggest and most incredible alternative to horses, you already guessed it...

In India, elephants have been used extensively in combat for ages. At some point, it was said that Indian ruler, Porus, had over 100,000 war elephants in his army.

They’ve been used in Europe, too. One of the greatest achievements of Hannibal, general of Carthage, was to lead an army of 80,000 soldiers along with his troop of elephants, on a march through the Alps. Although many men and animals perished on the crossing, the conclusion of this journey is still considered to be one of the greatest military achievements in history. Hannibal's attack with his elephants was, to some extent, a great success.

Over the next 15 years, Hannibal won significant battles and occupied the south of Italy, once with reinforcements shipped directly from Africa, although no elephants were included. In the 209 B.C. battle of Canusium with the Roman consul Marcellus, Hannibal’s war elephants created havoc until the Romans managed to wound one, touching off a cascade of panic among the pachyderms.

You see, war elephants were a growing problem at some point in history. Because of this, to counter them, another animal, other than the horse, was used with great success…

During the siege of Megara, among the Macedonian troops, were the feared war elephants. To break the siege, it was necessary to eliminate the imposing animals. For this, Mégara's generals devised a plan that was both creative and extremely cruel: oiling pigs and set the poor animals on fire.

When the burning pigs were released, grunting in pain and despair, towards the Macedonian elephants, the pachyderms, seeing the mass of fire coming their way, with their shrill and deafening screeches, panicked. The elephants fled in terror, trampling (and killing) many Macedonian soldiers in the rout.

Probably man has tried and tested every animal he could for war and cargo transportation. I think the best alternative would undoubtedly be the elephants, already tested and approved in the field.

 

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The most common myth concerning ostriches is that these birds bury their heads under the sand whenever danger is on the prowl. In reality, this isn’t true, because ostriches do not bury their heads underground when threatened; instead, they will readily defend themselves and protect their chicks.

Sure enough, the world’s biggest and fastest bird can become aggressive if threatened. For that matter, it has long, dagger-like claws at the end of its long feet – as such, one kick can inflict a serious amount of damage. This is why it’s always advisable never to try provoking an ostrich.

However, the myth does come from a true fact: when nesting, a female ostrich will dig shallow holes in the ground, so as to use them as nests for her eggs. In the process, she uses her beak to turn her eggs several times each day.

In fact, from a distance, an ostrich leaning into a hole could easily look like it’s burying its head in the sand! And that is what probably led to the common myth.

But still, despite their comical appearance, ostriches are not cowards; they are dangerous birds that will never relent towards anything that threatens their lives or that of their young. It’s always wise never to mess with ostriches.

 

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It's because Lions and Tigers do not co-exist in a shared territory anymore (thanks to humans).

However Tigers and Lions used to share common habitats in Asia, specially India and Iran before the end of 20th century. Fights between these two beasts were recorded in the accounts of travellers, folklore and stories.

20th Century had been the worst century for animals in these regions. Both British and Indian/Persian Royals hunted down Tigers and Lions in huge numbers, bounty was put on them and due to rapid urbanization and huge agricultural demands their habitats were run over by human occupation.

Lions were less of a shy animal compared to Tigers which preferred to hide in deep forests, so Lions were killed more, so much so that Lions went locally extinct in Iran and most of India.

Only 12 were left in a small forest in Gujarat, India by the end of 20th Century. They were able to survive because King of that region decided to protect them.

Tigers also perished as they were also hunted down to near extinction.

They became extinct in Iran and were only able to survive in small pockets of forests in India.

So, if not so for relentless hunting of Wild Animals by humans in 20th Century, Tigers and Lions would had still co-existed with each other in Jungles of Persia and India, and we may had witnessed Tigers and Lions fighting over territory and prey in the wild itself.

 

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