It is unusual, though not unknown, for tigers to hunt elephants. There are several instances of tigers hunting newborn baby elephants and occasionally they may kill elephant babies that are a few years old. Tigers follow elephant herds and when the opportunity presents itself and they find a baby elephant a little distance away from the herd, they charge in quickly, injure the baby and leave. Once the baby elephant is injured, the tiger has to now quietly follow the herd and when the incapacitated baby dies and the elephant herd moves away, the tiger moves in to make a meal of the baby elephant.
On a recent safari to Corbett Tiger Reserve, Jim’s Jungle Retreat guests were lucky to witness once in a lifetime event of tigers, a mother, and two cubs, attacking a young elephant. The elephant was already injured in one of its hind legs, indicating that it was being repeatedly attacked by the family of tigers. The elephant that was supposedly separated from its herd was followed and attacked by the tigers who were not in a hurry to kill it but their repeated attacks were directed towards tiring the injured elephant so that it could eventually be killed.
This interesting clip of a tiger attacking the hind legs of a young male elephant was captured by Corbett Tiger Reserve naturalist Deeksha who was accompanying the guests.