Locking Horns: An Afternoon with the Other King | Evolve Back Kabini

An hour had already passed and we were still sitting tight in our vehicle, our eyes locked on a watering hole in Kabini. It was the peak of summer and the parched forest was painted all shades of brown. News had come in of a tigress frequenting this patch and that seemed like the perfect cue for us to lock position here since early morning.

I shifted in my seat just a little, with great caution, making a great effort to not squeak. Just then my fellow wildlifer whispered heavily, “there’s something behind that bush!” Our Naturalist and I quickly raised our binoculars to peer in the direction, anticipating orange-black-and-white stripes! The rustling continued and even intensified. There seemed to be movement but it wasn’t the preparatory action before a predator pounces into action. A tiger would typically be stealthy or soft, if it had to catch us by surprise. It has no evident reason to be jostling behind the bush. This left us quizzed. What was going on in there! Whatever was behind that bush was seemingly large and in a bad mood. “Gaur, maybe?”, said another guest, thinking out loud on behalf of us all.

But no! Through my binoculars I witnessed something I had never seen before. There behind a thick screen of dry bushes and teak trees, two large male chital deer were engaged in a fierce sparring match. Their impressive, sprawling antlers locked and twisted violently as they pushed and shoved, muscles strained and eyes sharp. The clash was intense with dust rising, twigs snapping, and the grunts of exertion echoing through the forest. It was clear they were in rut, their aggression turned this encounter into a territorial showdown. All of us were standing still in the vehicle now, clutching our cameras and binoculars and holding our breath. The female or the herd was several feet away, part of the scene but not the battle. I wondered if the tiger knew about this and would he dare to step in?

Chital or the spotted deer (Axis axis), engage in antler sparring primarily as a form of competition among males for dominance and access to females during the rutting season. These fights are driven by hormonal changes, particularly the rise in testosterone, which peaks during the mating season—typically in the warmer months. The urge to establish a hierarchy and secure mating rights brings out aggressive behaviors, especially in sexually mature stags. Antlers, which are shed and regrown annually, play a central role in these battles. They are not just tools for fighting but also visual indicators of a male’s health, strength, and genetic fitness.

The males lock their antlers and push against each other with brute force, trying to overpower or dislodge their rival. These fights help determine which male is the fittest and most dominant, ensuring that only the strongest genes are passed on to the next generation. Through these battles, the complex social dynamics of chital herds are maintained, and natural selection continues to shape the species.

The battle continued for several minutes. The other smaller creatures and us watched, focused. At one heart-stopping moment, the dominant stag jerked his head with such force that his antler nearly gouged the other’s eye. Blood could have easily been drawn, and for a moment, it felt like the fight could spiral into something far more brutal.

The weaker adult relented just in time, breaking free and retreating into the thickets, leaving the victor standing tall. It was a majestic scene that unfolded next. From the shadows the victorious male emerged, his antlers glistening just a little in the afternoon light. He stood at a clearance in the woods, looking straight at us - unflinching, unperturbed. His demeanour was that of a king—his chest heaving, antlers high, and posture proud. As if to celebrate his triumph the forest heaved a sigh of relief. We looked up as the birds and the langur burst into an applause that was mostly cacophony. The macaques joined the party too!

That was the moment I had been waiting for. I quietly picked up my camera and clicked away, capturing the raw beauty, tension, and drama of the wild in its purest form. The wild truly has its ways and surprises that know no bounds.

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