This young Bengal tiger triggered Steve’s camera trap as it crossed through a hole in the fence at Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, India.
It was almost certainly setting off to hunt local livestock. Some parts of the park have insufficient prey for the big cats, and so park officials have deliberately made holes in the fence so that the tigers can venture out to find food elsewhere. Here in Bandhavgarh, villagers get compensated for any livestock losses. But the result of tigers moving out can be disastrous. Last year, three tigers, including this tiger and his sister, killed three people from one village. Conflict will increase as the tigers’ habitat shrinks and the human population increases.
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Steve became a National Geographic photojournalist in 1991 and specialises in photographing big cats. He lectures on photography and conservation issues, selling out venues from the Sydney Opera House in Australia to the Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, Canada. He won the grand prize for Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2008.
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