The Deer & the Tiger - George B. Schaller

The book can be called a record of the observations and inferences made by Dr. George B. Schaller from Sep. 1963 to May 1965 on the large mammals of India in the protected area of Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh. The study primarily targeted the study of the ecology and behaviour of the major hoofed animals of the park namely Chital, Barasingha, Black buck, Sambar and Gaur and the life history of the Tiger as a predator. Schaller says that the main reason to place the study records under one roof is to mark the striking similarities and differences in aspects of behaviour such as time of mating, bearing of young and to attempt an answer for such questions like Predator-prey relationship, apart from providing a new method to study on their habits and habitat. The book also points out the very little done in recording data on such mammals.

Chapter 2 describes the various techniques employed during the study period apart from discussing India’s physiography, vegetation and seasons with emphasis on Kanha Park.

The Part II of the book starts on the study on the hoofed animals at Kanha. Chapter 3 to 7 deals with description, Geographical distribution, Population dynamics, observation on population size and density, sex and age composition, rutting season, gestation period, rate of reproduction, mortality, daily activity cycle, food habits, feeding & drinking behaviour, range and movements, herd size composition, leadership, agonistic behaviour and dominance, sexual behaviour, female – young relationship and other observations of Chital, Sambar, Barasingha, Blackbuck and Gaur at the Kanha meadow, Schaller’s study area. Schaller also goes to compare them in the end on the ecological and behavioural aspects.

Part III takes us onto the Predator category where Schaller records his observation on the Tiger. Apart from the above aspects records on communication among tigers (scent and visual signals, vocalizations, postures and gestures, food habits, hunting, killing and feeding behaviour, hunting and stalking, attacking and killing, behaviour at a kill, response to man) have been done.

The book also records observation on other predators like the Leopard, Jungle cat, Sloth bear, striped hyena, wild dog, Bengal fox, jackal and python. The author also discusses on the effect of predation on the prey population

(All recordings and interpretations are made w.r.t the study area at Kanha.)