Top 5 Elusive Big Cats and Where to Find Them

It’s not unusual to see big cats such as tigers, leopards and lions in movies, story books or children’s shows. Indeed, The Tiger Who Came to Tea live on stage is one of the best theatre shows for families. But spotting one of these beautiful creatures in the wild is a rare sight. With this in mind, let’s check out five elusive big cats and where to find them.

Bengal Tiger

An elusive creature is difficult to find, often evading the human eye. It could also be on the endangered species list, which is definitely true for the Bengal tiger. While the number of these tigers has increased in recent years thanks to special protection and breeding programmes, it’s thought there are fewer than 2,000 Bengal tigers left in the wild. The Bengal tiger is the king of the Indian jungle. This splendid creature can also be found in famous reserves throughout the country including Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh and Tadoba.

South American Jaguar

Jaguars are the only big cat in the Americas and are the third biggest cat in the world after tigers and lions. There are around 173,000 jaguars left in the world today, with over half of all wild jaguars living in Brazil. They can be found in the Amazon rainforest or the world’s largest tropical wetland areas and flooded grasslands - the Pantanal. The best time to visit the Pantanal is from July to October, when the rainfall is low. Animals can often be found drinking from the shrinking lakes and river banks.

Indian Leopard

The Indian leopard is a solitary, elusive and nocturnal big cat that skulks through the Indian jungle looking for prey. The Indian leopard is an extremely strong hunter, stalking and ambushing creatures such as deer, wild boar, peafowl and Indian hare. Despite being a strong swimmer, the Indian leopard prefers to remain on solid ground. The best places to admire this creature in India are Jhalana, a wildlife sanctuary in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the forest of Pench and the Kabini sanctuary in the southern state of Karnataka.

Snow Leopard

Elegant and shy, the snow leopard has evolved to live in some of the harshest conditions on Earth, making it extremely difficult to track down and admire. As the king of the Asian mountains, this big cat has a white-grey coat dotted with large black rosettes to help it blend in with the rocky landscape. You can find the snow leopard in the Himalayan regions of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, at altitudes as high as 3500m.

African Lion

The African lion has been described as vulnerable, as only 25,000 are left in the wild. They live in large groups called prides and can be found in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. The Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya is undoubtedly one of the best places to see wild lions, especially during the annual Great Migration which sees herbivores such as wildebeests migrating from the drylands of Tanzania to Kenya in search of water. The hunting scenes are quite something.

If you and your family love big cats, don’t forget to book tickets to see The Tiger Who Came to Tea. This is a children’s play packed with singalongs, interactive moments and plenty of fun.