Former Norwegian diplomat Erik Solheim recently shared a Twitter thread that explains when the first picture of this wild cat was taken. The black-and-white photograph, captured in 1925, shows the ferocious wild cat with an animal with its mouth.
Representative Image. AFP
Most of us remain fascinated by tigers. Photos and videos of the majestic predator grab eyeballs whenever they are posted on the internet. But do you know when someone first took a picture of a tiger in the wild? Well, this Twitter thread has an answer.
Former Norwegian diplomat Erik Solheim recently shared a Twitter thread that explains when the first picture of this wild cat was taken. The black-and-white photograph, captured in 1925, shows the ferocious wild cat with an animal with its mouth.
View the tweet here:
The photograph was taken by an Indian Forest Officer, wrote Solheim. The former diplomat also tagged wildlife historian and conservationist Raza Kazmi in his tweet. Kazmi had shared the original Twitter thread regarding the photograph. View the Twitter thread here:
According to Kazmi, IFS officer Frederick Walter Champion took the photograph. A part of the 1921 batch, Champion served in the United Provinces (present-day Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand). Unlike his contemporaries, the IFS officer hated hunting for sport and was far more interested in photographing wild animals.
Kazmi also shared three photos of tigers in the Kumaon region clicked by Champion. The IFS officer used to take photos of the predators using what he called the ‘trip-wire photography’, wherein a wire connected to a camera was concealed in the animal’s path. The flash went off when the animal stumbled upon the wire.
The technique was refined over the years and is now used as ‘camera trap photography’. This is the standard method for tiger census and monitoring in India. For his efforts, Champion is often called the “father of camera-trap photography”.
According to Kazmi, Champion’s books With a Camera in Tigerland (1927) and Jungle in Sunlight and Shadow (1933) featured several stunning images of Indian wildlife. They even inspired people like Jim Corbett to trade their guns in for a camera.
Several Twitter users praised Kazmi for his detailed thread. “Yes–as an old Corbett fan, really glad to learn how was inspired to switch from shooting bullets to shooting film! Thanks!” a user wrote.
Others were stunned to see the size of the animal.
What are your thoughts on this Twitter thread?