It was a scene straight out of wildlife shows on TV at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) on Sunday, as authorities and officials saw an expert calm an aggressive tigress with much ease.

"Basanti is known for her aggressive behaviour whenever she sees people, but when Neville [Buck] approached her cage, she instantly calmed down. He has spent 30 years looking after and studying these majestic cats in captivity and so his experience will be very helpful for us," said an SGNP official.