Wild Beasts and Their Ways, Reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America — Volume 1Baker, Samuel White, Sir
History
Wild Beasts and Their Ways, Reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America — Volume 1
Baker, Samuel White, Sir
Animal behavior; Hunting
The tigress remains with her young until they are nearly full-grown, and
she is very assiduous in teaching her cubs to kill their prey while they
are extremely young. I have seen an instance of such schooling when two
buffaloes were tied up about a quarter of a mile apart; one was killed,
and although these two baits were mere calves, it had evidently been
mangled about the neck and throat in the endeavour to break the neck.
This had at length been effected by the tigress, as proved by the larger
marks of teeth, while the wounds of smaller teeth and claws in the
throat and back of neck showed that the cub had been worrying the
buffalo fruitlessly, until the mother had interfered to complete the
kill. The other buffalo calf had been attacked, and severely lacerated
about the nape of the neck and throat, but it was still alive, and was
standing up at the post to which it had been tied. This proved that the
cub had been practising upon both these unlucky animals, and that the
tigress had only interfered to instruct her pupil upon the last
occasion. A dead vulture was lying near the buffalo carcase; this had
been killed, probably, by the cub; the fact showed that the buffalo had
been attacked that morning during daylight, and not during the preceding
night, when the vultures would have been at roost.
The tigress is generally in advance of the male during a drive, should
there be two together; this should not be forgotten, and a sharp
look-out should be directed upon the place from whence the tigress shall
have emerged, as the shot must be taken at the rearmost animal, who
would otherwise disappear immediately, and break back at the sound of
the explosion. In all cases it is incumbent upon the watcher to study
attentively every feature of the ground directly that he enters upon his
post, so that he may be prepared for every eventuality; he should
thoroughly examine his surroundings, noting every little open space,
every portion of dense bush, and form his opinion of the spot that would
probably be the place of exit when the tiger should be driven to the
margin of the covert. Tigers are frequently missed, or only slightly
wounded, through utter carelessness in keeping a vigilant look-out. The
watcher may have omitted to scan the details of the locality, and when
unprepared for the interview, the tiger suddenly appears before him.
Startled at the unexpected apparition, he fires too quickly, and with
one bound the tiger vanishes from view, leaving the shooter in a state
of misery at his miss, that may be imagined. Nearly all the fatalities
in tiger-shooting are caused by careless shooting, which necessitates
the following up a blood-track; it is therefore imperative that extreme
care and coolness be observed in taking a steady aim at a vital portion
of the body, that will ensure the death of the animal at latest within a
few minutes. If the shot is fired at right angles with the flank,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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