The Majestic Fierce King

Growing up in Indonesia, I have heard many stories about tigers, from children’s stories to folklore. That is not surprising, because some tiger subspecies are named after Indonesian islands. Therefore, even if the tiger goes extinct, the stories will never. Some of the stories picture a tiger as a kindhearted king, others as a jealous creature with no mercy, and others as a human in disguise seeking wealth.

That said, I grew up with a complex impression about tigers. At one point, I felt in awe of how a tiger walks, lies down, and stares at whatever is before it. But it also gives me chills whenever I remember its roar in movies—both documentary and fictional. I’m also a huge fan of the stories of Winnie the Pooh written by A.A. Milne. There’s another side of a tiger there.

Wherever I travel, I always seek the opportunity to visit the local zoo or safari park. And whichever zoo it is, I’m sure to spend time watching the tiger. This image was captured at the Novosibirsk Zoo, a little less than 12 years from today. It was my first time standing face-to-face with a Siberian tiger. We looked each other in the eye. And again, a thousand thoughts, mixed with feelings, filled my soul. To this day, whenever I see this photograph, I can’t help but wonder what was in the tiger’s mind when it saw me, as there was no one else at that time. It was only the two of us, separated by bars. Maybe it was saying, “Please don’t be afraid of me.”

I have expressed my thoughts and feelings about tigers through my recent book, Body Parts. The paperback and Kindle formats will launch on October 30, 2026.

Have you ever had mixed feelings about someone or something?