Sambar saved by the Tiger

On May 15th 2003 there was a wildlife census in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. I was participating with a forest guard, his name was Mr. Rohankar. Our spot was on the Kolara Zari watch tower and it was full moon.

We saw two tigers at 4pm and there was a sambar kill. The tigers were eating and enjoying with each other. Generally people say wild dog or dhole can kill tigers, because wild dogs live in packs and tigers are solitary animals. The tigers were there from 4pm to midnight. At midnight they were both in the shade of the mango trees. At the same time a sambar came there followed by a small animal, it was running behind the sambar. They were running very fast so I thought I must be a sambar baby. As the sambar reached the watch tower it stopped in front of both tigers at a distance of 8 to 10 meters. The sambar noticed the and it made an alarm call. Then we saw that the sambar baby was in fact a wild dog. So the sambar stood in between two tigers and a wild dog. I thought the tigers would kill the sambar. After the sambar made an alarm call a pack of wild dogs came running to the spot. The sambar ran away and one of the tigers charged the wild dogs. After chasing away the wild dogs the tiger came back to join the other tiger and they went inside the jungle.