IMAGINE you’re on a holiday exploring the wonders of nature. Right before you retire to bed in your homey chalet, amidst the symphony of cicadas and rustling leaves around, a deep, guttural bellow rumbles through the air.
The roar seems to shake the very ground beneath your feet. But you are not camping anywhere in the jungle, in fact you’re quite some distance away from it, some three kilometres away, to be precise.
Could it be that the rumbling you just heard was of a tiger’s?
Verdict:
TRUE
Tigers use a variety of vocalisations to communicate over long distances. These roars may be heard from distances over 3km.
So, yes, to answer the question, the roar could have very well been a tiger’s.
Roaring is produced in a variety of situations such as taking down large prey, signaling sexual receptivity and females calling to their young.
Moaning vocalisations are described as a subdued roar made while tigers are calmly walking with their heads in a downward position. This vocalisation is audible for distances less than 400m.
Chuffing are friendly vocalisations that generally consist of a soft ‘brrr’ sound. These vocalisations are primarily used for greetings between tigers and are only audible at close range.
The ability of the roar to carry over long distances is crucial for tigers in the wild, as it serves various communication purposes, including marking territory, signaling presence, warning off rivals, or communicating with potential mates.
The low frequency of a tiger's roar allows it to resonate and propagate through dense forests and across long distances.
Now, while lions are considered the king of the jungle, a tiger’s roar seems to carry a little more weight for the title, don’t you think?
References:
1. https://wwf.org.nz/news/species/10-facts-about-tigers
2. https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/behind-the-roar-understanding-the-behavior-of-tigers/
3. https://seaworld.org/animals/all-about/tiger/communication/
