A wildlife photographer has captured the jaw-dropping moment a Bengal tiger leapt clean across a stream in India.
Debtanu Baidya’s stunning snaps show the tigress – nicknamed Choto Maa – suspended mid-air as she clears the waterway with effortless grace.
The 25-year-old took the shots in August 2024 while leading a safari group through the Sundarban Tiger Reserve, a vast mangrove forest home to just over 100 of the endangered big cats.
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Originally from Kolkata, Debtanu is both a tour guide and the founder of Nature+ Safaris.
He said the rare sighting was taken from about 50–70 metres away.
“The photos were taken at the perfect moment,” Debtanu told What’s The Jam.
“She’s a female adult tigress, and it looked almost like she was posing for the camera.”
The Bengal tiger is among the world’s largest cats, growing up to 10 feet long.
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But with only 3,700–5,500 left in the wild, encounters like this are increasingly precious.
Debtanu first picked up a camera as a teen and has since dedicated his life to photographing India’s wildlife.
Over the years, he’s had plenty of heart-stopping encounters – from mock-charging rhinos to tracking the elusive Pallas’s cat in the remote Ladakh region.
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Debtanu said: “In February, while hosting a tour at India’s Kaziranga National Park, a rhino came onto the road and gave us some head-on shots, then suddenly made a mock charge before heading into the grassland.
“We were in our gypsy and stayed put, as we were at a safe distance.
“These are common incidents when hosting a group or tour, but they are not dangerous.
“We always keep one thing in mind – since we all use telephoto lenses, we prefer to keep a safe distance from the animals.
“This way we don’t disturb them, and they don’t feel threatened.”
Asked about his most memorable moment, he said: “At the age of 22, I went to India’s Ladakh region in search of the rare and elusive Pallas’s cat.
“And yes, I spotted it and took a lot of pictures.
“As a wildlife enthusiast, that’s a great achievement for me.”
Debtanu’s latest tiger photos, now going viral online, have been hailed by wildlife fans as some of the most breathtaking images ever taken in the reserve.
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