PFC Chapter 174 Are you crazy?
Chapter 174 Are you crazy?
The group stared nervously at the uninvited guest who had suddenly barged in.
Just then, a strong gust of wind blew by, carrying the scent of the camp towards the brown bear.
The brown bear immediately became restless and began to move towards them.
“Be prepared to retreat at any time,” Li Xiangyang’s voice remained calm, but his hand was already on his gun. “Anna, if things go wrong, you go with Wang Ergou immediately. I’ll cover you.”
The brown bear was less than fifty meters away from them. It was larger than the average brown bear and exuded power.
Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, a tiger's roar suddenly came from afar.
The brown bear froze, turning its head to look in the direction from which the sound came.
Another tiger roared, this time even closer.
The brown bear realized it had trespassed into someone else's territory and began to slowly retreat.
Not long after, it disappeared into the vast snowy night.
"Phew..." Wang Ergou breathed a sigh of relief. "Luckily, that tiger was nearby."
Anna, still shaken, said, "Fortunately, every animal has its own habitat, and the existence of the Siberian tiger helps maintain this balance."
The night deepened, and the snow gradually subsided.
The three took turns on watch and got through the thrilling night.
The next morning, the air was bitterly cold.
They discovered that the tiger from yesterday had left new footprints not far from the camp.
“It’s patrolling its territory,” Li Xiangyang said, crouching down to examine it closely. “Look at the spacing and depth of these footprints; it’s moving with great ease.”
Anna quickly took photos to document the scene: "Could you tell me in detail how you determined its condition from the footprints?"
Pointing to the footprints, Li Xiangyang explained, "Normally, tiger footprints are very regular. If it's hunting or stressed, the footprints will be deeper and the stride will change. But these footprints show that it's relaxed, which is a sign that it's patrolling its territory."
"Judging from the freshness of these footprints, it must have passed through here shortly before dawn."
Anna meticulously recorded every detail, frequently exclaiming in admiration, "This is knowledge you can't find in textbooks. Your experience is invaluable."
Li Xiangyang led them forward along the footprints and soon discovered the tiger's claw marks on the tree.
Those deep claw marks were more than two meters above the ground.
“It’s demonstrating its strength to other animals,” Li Xiangyang explained. “Through these markings, other animals can tell that this is a strong, adult tiger, and thus will proactively avoid this area.”
"A perfect survival strategy," Anna exclaimed, "to intimidate your opponent without actually fighting."
As they were talking, the black cat suddenly perked up its ears alertly and locked its gaze in the southeast direction.
Nightshade and Little Tiger also quieted down, their muscles tense.
"It's here," Li Xiangyang said in a low voice, "Don't move."
In the thin mist, the old tiger appeared silently in their sight.
It seems quite pleased with the area it marked yesterday and is carefully examining every trace.
Anna held her breath and carefully raised the camera.
This time she was closer than ever before, and she could clearly see the tiger's vibrant fur and powerful physique.
Every movement of a tiger is full of power and elegance.
It stopped in front of a patch of snow, lowered its head to sniff, and made a low growling sound in its throat.
Those amber eyes were bright and piercing, as if they could see through all the changes around them.
“What a perfect hunter,” Wang Ergou said in a low voice. “Look, it doesn’t make a sound when it walks.”
Li Xiangyang nodded slightly: "That's why it can reign supreme in this region. Its alertness and self-control alone are unmatched by most animals."
Anna's camera followed the tiger's every move.
Suddenly, the tiger stopped and turned to look at the bushes where they were hiding.
In that instant, all three of them felt their hearts skip a beat.
“Don’t move,” Li Xiangyang whispered. “It’s confirming our location.”
The tiger's gaze seemed to pierce through the bushes.
It stood there, its tail swaying slightly, neither appearing tense nor showing any intention to attack.
A few seconds later, it seemed to have made a judgment about the situation and continued to walk forward along its own path.
“It seems it has accepted our presence,” Li Xiangyang explained softly. “We’ve kept our distance these past few days and haven’t disturbed its normal activities, so it doesn’t see us as a threat.”
Anna's hands trembled with excitement: "This is simply incredible! In all my previous field research, I've never observed a wild Siberian tiger this close, let alone captured the entire process of it patrolling its territory."
“Once it’s gone a bit further, I’ll take you to see a place,” Li Xiangyang said. “There you can see more traces of it.”
Half an hour later, when the tiger had completely disappeared into the forest, the three of them carefully moved to a new location.
Li Xiangyang led them to a slightly raised hillside where several ancient pine trees stood tall.
“This is one of its resting spots,” Li Xiangyang pointed to a patch of compacted snow under the tree. “Look at these tracks.”
Anna immediately crouched down to examine it closely.
There were clear tracks on the snow, and animal hair was scattered around.
“This spot offers a wide view, is sheltered from the wind, and faces the sun,” Li Xiangyang continued, “and with the shade of large trees, it’s an ideal observation point. Tigers often rest here, and incidentally, keep an eye on their territory.”
Wang Ergou picked up a twig and pointed to the marks on the tree trunk: "Look at these scratches, some new and some old, which means it comes here often."
Anna meticulously photographed every detail, excitedly saying, "This is fantastic! Based on these traces, we can not only understand its habits but also deduce how long it was active in this area."
After the group recorded the details, they were about to leave when the black cat suddenly perked up its ears and locked its gaze on a clump of bushes in the distance.
Following the gaze of the black cat, a huge figure was slowly moving amidst the swaying shadows of the trees in the distance.
The steady pace and the occasional pauses made Li Xiangyang immediately realize what was coming.
"do not move."
Li Xiangyang raised his hand to stop Anna, who was about to raise her camera: "It's coming this way."
"tiger?"
Anna held her breath.
“It’s not the one from yesterday,” Li Xiangyang said in a low voice. “It’s another one, a smaller one.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the young tiger revealed its true form.
Although it was not as robust as the older tiger from yesterday, it had firm muscles and exceptionally bright fur.
This is a male tiger in its prime.
The young tiger stopped about twenty meters away from them, his nose twitching as if he were trying to identify the scents in the air.
Suddenly, a deep tiger roar came from afar.
The young tiger shuddered, but did not flee. Instead, it slowly turned to face the source of the sound and let out a low growl in response.
“Interesting.” Li Xiangyang narrowed his eyes slightly. “It’s provoking us.”
Anna carefully raised her camera, and the sound of the shutter was exceptionally clear in the quiet forest.
Not long after, the older tiger appeared.
It sized up the uninvited guest with an unfriendly expression, its thick tail twitching in the air.
Although the young tiger was slightly smaller, it showed no sign of backing down.
Facing the older tiger, it moved forward step by step, its steps steady and firm.
"Has it gone mad?" Wang Ergou asked nervously. "It can't possibly be a match for that tiger!"