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Shakti
vanam
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'Shakti
vanam' the tiger enclosure. |
The
area where the Tiger enclosure is located is called
the 'Shakti vanam' .
These big cats have been depicted in the Hindu mythology
as the mounts of many Gods and Godesses. They symbolize
strength and courage . The Godesses Durga , Chandi
, Chamundi ... all incarnations of shakthi are depicted
as riding a Tiger or a lion. |
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The
tiger
Scientific name :
Panthera tigris (Linnaeus)
Common names :
Hindi - Bagh, sher ; Tamil & Telugu - Poolee
;Kannada - Hoolee
Characters
:
The Indian tiger is a rich-coloured well-striped
animal with a short coat. Individual variation is
great.
Habitat : Almost
throughout India from Himalayas to Kanyakumari and
into Myanmar except in the deserts of Rajasthan,
The Punjab and Gujarat.
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Habits
:
They
live in areas where there is ample supply of big animals
for hunting, ample shade for sleep and water to quench
their thirst. They hunt game of all kinds including
elephants, gaur, buffalo, deer, nilgai, wild boar,
porcupine and bears. Driven by hunger they will eat
anything from fowl to fish and even carrion.They become
cattle-lifters and man-eaters only when they do not
have any other game.They are good swimmers and they
even climb trees if needed. Mating season is after
rains and cubs are born between February and May.
Size : Male :
275 - 290cm long and weigh 180 - 230 kg. Female :
260cm long and weigh around 45 kg less than the males. |
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The
area where the Lion enclosure is located is called
the 'Bharata vanam' . India gets its name 'Bharat'
after Bharata, the son of the king Dushyantha and
Shakunthala . ' Abhigyana Shakuntalam ' a great
work by Kalidasa portraits these three as the main
characters . Bharata is said to have played with
lion cubs during his childhood, which was spent
in the hermitage of Kanva, a great sage. The lion
moat here has been named inspired by this saga.These
big cats also have been depicted in the Hindu mythology
as the mounts of many Gods and Godesses.
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'Bharata
vanam'-The
lion enclosure |
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The
Lion
Scientific name :
Panthera leo (Linnaeus)
Common names :
Hindi - Sher, Singh ; Tamil - Singham ; Telugu - Simham.
Characters : The
mane is light or dark and rarely quite black. A long
tassel of hair at the end of its tail and a pronounced
tuft of hair on the elbow joints, and a full fringe
of hair on its belly. Cubs may be striped or spotted.
Habitat : Restricted
to Gir forests of Gujarat, though once found all over
central India. |
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Habits
:
They rest under the shade of the trees by the day
and start their quest for food at dusk. Their roars
can be heard all through the night and more frequently
during the dusk and just before daybreak. They usually
mate between October and November and the young
are produced between January and February. Each
litter consists of two cubs and occassionally three.
They prey mainly on game and cattle.
Size : Slightly
smaller in size than its African counterpart. Largest
recorded measurement of an Indian lion is 292 cm.
while that of an African lion is 323 cm.
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