The dramatic moment a tiger kills a deer has been captured by a photographer who waited 660 hours during 220 safaris in India to get the perfect shot.
The dramatic moment a tiger kills a deer has been captured by a photographer who waited 660 hours during 220 safaris in India to get the perfect shot
Stunning photos show the big cat sprinting after its prey before leaping on its back and dragging it away in Ranthambore National park, Rajasthan, India
The sequence of images was captured by British photographer Andy Rouse who has spent years waiting to see a tiger hunt unfolding in front of him
Until this point, the photographer had failed to capture what he referred to as ‘the holy grail’ of photographing tigers.
Stalking: Until this point, the photographer had failed to capture what he referred to as ‘the holy grail’ of photographing tigers
Attack: The tiger stalked its prey before sprinting after it and leaping on to its back in a dramatic ten minutes on the safari
The photographer and his six-man team came close to observing a kill on several occasions but luck was never on their side
On the day of the kill, Mr Rouse was following female tiger Noor T39 (all tigers in the reserve are numbered), along a stone valley when she suddenly stopped and sat down, putting her legs underneath her
After playing with her prey for a few minutes, Noor dragged it to a cave, out of the scorching 45 celsius heat in Rajasthan, India
Flying out for two-week stints, the safari drives lasted three hours at a time and were completed in the early morning and evening hours to avoid the hostile daytime temperatures, which could reach over 100 degrees Celsius.
From static to full-speed in a moment, the tigress quickly overtook the deer, before using her strength and size to take down her prey
On the day of the kill, Mr Rouse was following a female tiger, along a stone valley when she suddenly stopped and sat down, putting her legs underneath her
The giant tiger used all of its power to spring an attack on the deer, before dragging it down and clamping its jaws around its neck
Surrounded by boulders and on an uneven, rocky riverbed, the Sambar Deer stood no chance against the power and speed of the tigress
On the day of the kill, Mr Rouse was following female tiger Noor T39 (all tigers in the reserve are numbered), along a stone valley when she suddenly stopped and sat down, putting her legs underneath her.
As an experienced wildlife photographer Mr Rouse had seen plenty of hunts in the past but the brutality of the tiger’s kill surprised even him
Flying out for two-week stints, the safari drives lasted three hours at a time and were completed in the early morning and evening hours to avoid the hostile daytime temperatures, which could reach over 100 degrees Celsius
As well as the hunt, Mr Rouse managed to capture the big cat feasting on its prey after it dragged the animal away behind rocks
Dinner time: The stunning tiger tucked into its dinner after dragging it away behind rocks at Ranthambore National park, Rajasthan, India
Mr Rouse said: ‘I’ve seen lots of kills but when you see a tiger kill it’s the awesome power and focus of the tiger that gets you
‘The tiger was bouncing from boulder to boulder and just grabbed the deer and pulled it down. From start to finish it was over in 10 minutes.’