Sport on the Nilgiris and in Wynaad

Abstract

large cattle lifters, hang around villages, & game killer, smaller, stays away from man.& man-eaters. Must have water & cover. Gestation - 100 days, 3-4 kids but only 2 usually reach maturity. No mating season. 7 tigers seen together. Affirms 12 foot tigers. Cites Baldwin - "often hear of tiger striking down his prey with paw - doubtless occasionally does so but I am of the opinion that this is not usual case; more generally springs from ambush or by grovelling along the ground approaches to within springing distance, then with might bound or succession of bounds, he launches himself & seizes back of neck (not throat), brings it to the ground & then gives fatal wrench or twist which dislocates the neck. Looked at scores of bullocks - majority have broken necks & deep holes in back of neck. Sometimes, certainly less often, undoubted evidence the the bullock felled by blow from forearm." Forsyth - "seldom kill by slege-hammer stroke of fore-paw. Usual way being to seize with the teeth the nape & at same time use paws to hol & give purchase for the wrench that breaks neck." Sanderson - beasts with horns hard to grab by nape. Would drive to ground where killing would be longer than by dislocating neck. Dislocation could not be effected on the ground as well as by turning the throat upwards, when the inertio of the beast's carcase before it is overthorn presents a sufficient purchase to effeect the dislocation. That the tiger does not seize by the nape of the neck is alos apparent from fact that the gape of the largest is insufficient to take in the neck of big cattle so as to bring the fangs to the lower part of the throat where the fatal marks are always found." Fletcher says he has examined 50 cattle killed by tigers & with singe exception, fang marks invariably in the throat, not back of neck. The exception - tiger jumped from bank onto buffalo's neck. Big fight & buffalo shook off cat, but died 2 days later wit deep holes on both sides of the vertebral column. Never seen tiger actually seize bullock but his cattlemen tell him that tiger rushes, then rises, places paw on either shoulder, seize throat, gives wrench that dislocates neck. Says take plump juicy animal, not just any. Drags kills to cover. Not seen kills hidden, as reported by others. Starts at hindquarters but leopard from forequarters. Seen tiger eat both hindquarters & much of body in first night. Will leave only large bones & content of stomach. Reports tigress 30 ft in tree. Says claw trees - locals say to sharpen, he thinks to get rid of rotten flesh from carrion. Saw climbing marks 20 ft in tree. Often accompanied by jackal. Says have keen sense of smell. Leopard - panther & leopard the same. Eat dog, jackals, monkeys, hares, jungle fowl. Really like dogs. Bigger cats also take deer & bullock. Panther kills by dislocating neck & leopard by throat bite - to strangle. Reports throats badly mangled on cattle. Drag to cover & don't cover according to Fletcher. Climb & may use trees to look out. Begins to eat at forequarters, but occasionally from hind.