The moment occurred at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in India with the confused tiger snapped jumping next to the tiny deer, nuzzling with it, and even carrying it gently in its mouth like a cub.
Photographer Souvik Kundu snapped pictures of a tiger playing with a fawn at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in India
Crowds at the Maharashtra reserve gasped as they predicted the spotted deer fawn would face a swift and gruesome death at the paws of the giant feline.
Instead, the unlikely two appear to become the best of friends, with the gentle tigress tenderly playing with it, before leaving the deer unharmed to live another day.
The adorable encounter lasted for about 15 minutes, before the big cat retreated and allowed the small deer to rest in the grass.
Photographer Souvik Kundu, 35, from Mumbai witnessed the tigress nuzzling the spotted deer fawn like one of her cubs
The joyful cat was seen jumping next to the deer, patting it and even carrying it in her mouth like a cub
Play with me! The tigress instead just wants to play with the baby deer and kept patting it with its paws
Souvik said it was possible the tigress confused the fawn with her own offspring
‘As a result she had confused the fawn for her own offspring.’
The photographs form a series entitled, The Benevolent Queen, due to the tiger’s gentle nature
The tiger left the deer resting in the grass, as the new friends went on with their days