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
A man-eating tiger requires peculiar caution, not only lest it should
observe the presence of the hunter, but he must remember that if upon
the ground he himself becomes a bait for this exceedingly stealthy
animal, which can approach without the slightest noise, and attack
without giving any notice of its presence. A curious example of this
danger was given a few years ago in the Nagpur district. A tigress had
killed so many people that a large reward was offered for her
destruction; she had killed and dragged away a native, but being
disturbed, she had left the body without eating any portion. The
shikaris considered that she would probably return to her prey during
the night, if left undisturbed upon the spot where she had forsaken it.
There were no trees, nor any timber that was suitable for the
construction of a mucharn; it was accordingly resolved that four deep
holes should be dug, forming the corners of a square, the body lying in
the centre. Each hole was to be occupied by a shikari with his
matchlock. The watchers took their positions. Nothing came; until at
length the moon went down, and the night was dark. The men were afraid
to get out of their hiding-places to walk home through the jungles that
were infested by the man-eater; they remained in their holes, and some
of them fell asleep.
When daylight broke, three of the shikaris issued from their positions,
but the fourth had disappeared; his hole was empty! A few yards distant,
his matchlock was discovered lying upon the ground, and upon the dusty
surface were the tracks of the tiger, and the sweeping trace where the
body had been dragged as the man-eater carried it along. Upon following
up the track, the remains of the unlucky shikari were discovered, a
considerable portion having been devoured; but the tigress had
disappeared. This cunning brute had won the game, and she was not killed
until twelve months afterwards, although many persons devoted themselves
to her pursuit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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