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
In the absence of any elephant, the pursuit of a wounded tiger by
following up the blood-track on foot is a work of extreme danger. The
native shikaris generally exhibit considerable hardihood, and, confident
in their activity, they ascend trees from which they have a clear view
in front for some 30 or 40 yards. They descend if the coast is clear,
cautiously advance, and then again they mount upon the branches of some
favourable tree and scan the ground before them. In this manner they
continue to approach until they at length discern the wounded animal. If
the hunter is clever at climbing, he may then take a steady shot from a
good elevation; but if not, he must take his chance, and knowing the
exact position of the tiger, he must endeavour to make certain of its
sudden death by placing a bullet either in the brain or the back of the
neck.
A newly arrived party, having heard that some native cow has been
carried off within a week, will make a reconnaissance of the surrounding
country upon their elephants, and will examine every watercourse for
tracks. We will suppose that after some hours of diligent search the
long-wished-for pugs or footmarks have been discovered. Now the science
of the chase must be exhibited, and the habits of the tiger carefully
considered. The first consideration will be the drinking-place. If the
middle of the dry season, say the beginning of May, the heat will be
intense, and the hot wind will feel as though it had passed over a
heated brick-kiln. The water will have entirely disappeared, unless a
river shall be permanent in the neighbourhood. It will be necessary to
procure two or perhaps three buffaloes to tie up in various positions
not far from water, as baits for the tiger during the hours of night,
when it will be wandering forth from its secure retreat and searching
for its expected prey. The buffaloes should be at least twelve months
old; I prefer them when eighteen months, as they are then heavy animals
and would afford two hearty meals, each sufficient to gorge the tiger to
an extent that, after drinking, would render it lazy and inclined to
sleep. Great care should be taken in the selection of these buffaloes.
The natives will assuredly offer their skinny and unhealthy animals: but
a tiger, unless nearly starved, will frequently refuse to attack a
miserable skeleton, and like ourselves it prefers a fat and appetising
attraction. It must be distinctly remembered that after the tiger has
devoured the hind-quarters of the animal it has killed, it requires a
deep draught of water; it is therefore necessary that the buffalo as
bait should be tied up somewhere within a couple of hundred yards of a
drinking-place, as the least distance; otherwise, instead of lying down
somewhere near the remains of its prey, it must wander to a great
distance to drink. The stomach, being full of flesh, will naturally
become distended with water, and the gorged tiger will not be in the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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