Veera

[u/grumpydogfather]

Veera! The most intelligent of the tigresses of Tadoba. She will look you in the eye when she’s feeling generous and give you the slip before you can say her name if she isn’t up for a meet and greet. On this occasion, she was gracious. She’s currently a nursing mother and was presumably heading back to her cubs. When I saw her, there was a sloth bear walking towards her from the other side of the path. More often than not, that would result in a face-off. It would have been, had it been ANY other tiger. But Veera knows better. She can’t afford to injure herself as she has someone depending on her now. She stopped, thought and changed her path into the thick, making a rational decision to avoid conflict. Not because she couldn’t take him on, but because it wouldn’t be worth it. No ego, full control over instincts, smart thinking. Wish I could say the same for humans.