In Nepal, the forest paths used by people during the day are trod by tigers at night, in a discovery that is promising for the ability of humans and tigers to coexist.
Tigers usually move about during both night and day, but in Chitwan National Park, the animals have shifted their behaviour in order to avoid humans.
Conventional wisdom dictates that tigers need spaces free from humans. This research indicates there may be a middle ground, where both humans and tigers can have access to the resources they need.
Venise Alstergren
Venise Alstergren is a Friend of The Conversation.
photographer, blogger.
Having followed the advice to "Read more at Michigan State University", I was disappointed to read their claim that tigers were a diurnal creature which had changed its behaviour to nocturnal hunting, in order to co-exist with man in Nepal. This is arrant nonsense, there is only one big cat which is diurnal, and that is the cheetah.
Tigers are crepuscular, they start sniffing out their potential prey at twilight before killing at night. IOW they are more nocturnal than anything else. This killed my interest in the article.
Have I had anything to do with tigers? Yes, last year I went to several tiger reserves/game parks in India.