Man Eating Tigers.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 192, 19 February 1887, Page 7

Man Eating Tigers.

The following is from an article by the Rev. J. G. Wood in " Good Words :— Restricted to Southern Asia, the tiger is brought info much closer contact with civilisation than is the lion of Africa ; and, inconsequence, *' man-eating" tigers are far more common than lions which possess the same terrible habit. The population of Asia is much move dense than that of Africa, while the character ot the vegetation is such that it affords shelter to the tiger almost on the very bordors of the villages. The causes for the practice of man-eating are the same as those which affect the lion. Were it not for the presence of civilised man, with -his flocks and herds, a tiger could never reach old age. Its stiffening or rather failing limbs would no longer enable it to capture the deer and other active animals which are its natural prey, nor could its blunted teeth tear the dead carcases in pieces. It would become more and more feeble, and, in the couree of nature, would creep to some retired iipot, and there breathe its last. But the presence of civilised man gives it* a longer lease of life. For some time it can haunt the outskirts of the villages, picking up a stray ox or goat, and so sustaining life. As the infirmities* of age make themselves felt, even so slight an exertion becomes too burdensome, and the animal finds that an. old woman or child who has strayed from the Bhelter of the house is a still easier prey. When once established in either of these stages of artificial life, the tiger becomes the most terrible foe which the mind of man can conceive. In the graphic language of Colonel W. Campbell, "a confirmed maneater always larks in the neighbourhood of villages, or close to some well frequentedroad, and rarely preys upon any other animal but man. When a tiger thus quarters himself almoßt at the doora of the inhabitants, a curee has indeed fallen upon them. The ryots cannot cultivate their fields but at the risk of their lives. The women dare not fetch water from the well. The persecuted labourers, returning at sunset from I the r daily toil, may be seen hurrying along wi'h headloDg speed, and uttering loud. yells in hope of gearing their hidden foe. Peace and security are banished from that devoted village. Day after day some member of the little community disappears — the land is filled with mourning, and the death-lament comes swelling on the evening breeze, instead of the gay notea of the zittar and the merry laugh of light-hearted maidens. The destroying iiend revels in blood, and becomes daily more open in his attacks." In one district only, that of Kandei9h, the officer in command reported that during his four years" tenure of the post the tigers killed annually an average of ninety human, beings, and six thousand cattle. Au old man eater develops an amount of cunning which ia simply appalling. It never remains for any length of time, ia one place, but inceeeantly travels from one village to another, concealing itself with the utmost art, carrying off one of the inhabitant?, and immediately making its way tq some distant spot. A single tiger has beea known to paralyse a triangular district of some forty miles in extent. The natives feei themselves powerless, and all they can think of is to offer rice to their numerous divinities. Their only real hope lies in the European, whom theydespise and abhor as an unbeliever, but. respect for his power?. Mounted on trained 1 elephants, and guided by native trackers* mostly belonging to the Bheel tribe, the English huutern first discover the beast in its hidiDg place, and then destroy it. Not until it becomes a man eater is a tiger much dreaded, especially in the caseof these natives who do not possess flocko. or her.irf. Indeed, when an Englishman^ ha a offered to kill a tiger whose lair waswell known, ho has been requested not to do co, as the tiger did not harm, and killed co many deer that it supplied the neighbours with meat. A remarkable example of this mutuaß fellowship between man and tiger is narrated by Colonel Campbell. Hearing shrieks of distress, he ran to the rescue, and: found that they proceeded from a young; lad of 15, on whom his father, a celebrated hunter and bushranger named Kamah, was operating with a bamboo. His crime (?y was that he had killed a tiger ! Most people> would have thought it a moat gallant action^ and felt proud of their son . Not so Kamab» who was full of angry regret. "It is all very well for those who live in the open country to wage war with tigers, but Avitb. us, who live on social terms with them in the jungle, the case is different. £ have no quarrel with the tigers. X never injuied one of them they never: injured me ; and while there was peace between us I went among them without fear of danger. But now that thia young raecal has picked a quarrel there is no saying where the feud will end." Thereupon the discipline of the bamboo was renewed. The tigress is much more to be dreaded^ as a man-eater than the male animal. Should i>hg happen to have cubs, it is necessary to kill the entire family, as the young; ones have been accustomed from the first to> feed on human flesh, and begin, instead of: ending, by being man-eaters.