By Madan G Singh
Hunting a tiger is banned in India. The tiger is a protected species and indiscriminate killing can land you behind bars. In fact killing any protected species will invite criminal action. The Bollywood Film star Salman Khan had shot a black buck in the Indian state of Rajasthan in 1998. He was tried under the protection of wildlife act of 1972(India) and sentenced to a 5 year jail term by the lower court. The case is presently in appeal. However once a tiger is declared a man eater then he can be hunted down.
Man eating tigers terrorize the villages and attack human beings and thrive on them as their prey. Generally man eaters are known to attack villagers who are walking or sleeping alone. There are cases of man eaters removing the door of a hut and carrying away his victim stealthily. There are also cases of Tigers carrying away small children, even from the arms of their mothers. A man eater is a very intelligent beast. He develops a sixth sense that makes him aware that an armed man is approaching. In such circumstances the man eater will mostly slink away into the forest or hide in a cave. Kenneth Anderson and Jim Corbett both veteran hunters of man eaters will vouchsafe for the cunning of the man eater.
The District magistrate will notify all concerned, once a tiger is declared a man eater. You can then opt to go in for the kill. Shooting a man eater however is not an easy task. If you have never shot or taken part in a tiger hunt then it's better to go along with an experienced hunter. Going alone is very dangerous. Having made the decision, it's important to equip yourself as a first step. More important you must be mentally prepared to confront the beast- because he or she is a formidable adversary. Firstly your attire. Wear a pair of strong jungle boots and slightly loose fitting trousers and full sleeve shirt. Do cover your head or wear a jungle hat. Apply sun screen cream on your face and neck as well as mosquito repellent cream on your hand and uncovered portions of your body. Keep adequate quantity of drinking water and some dry biscuits with you to munch along.
Next choosing a weapon is of the utmost importance. A shot gun or small arm will not do and you will have to use a heavy caliber rifle. Preferably you can use a SLR if you have the license for it. Carry the gun loaded and keep spare ammunition handy. In addition you will need a4wheel drive vehicle and an experienced driver. Take a local who knows the jungle routes well. An equally important part is hiring a tracker who can follow the spoor of the tiger. Remember tracking a tiger in the jungles of India is well nigh impossible without a tracker. Hire a trustworthy fellow who is familiar with the area. You will have to shell out money for all these hiring's.
The next step is to study the habitat of the tiger. For example a tiger in the Sunder bans In Bengal and Bangladesh moves in areas which have knee deep water, while a Tiger in the Kumaon hills of Northern India moves in mountain areas. Again a tiger in Central India moves about in thick jungles and small hills.
The last step is to locate the tiger. This could be near the last human devoured by him. You will have to pick up his spoor from there. You will need to track the tiger from his pug marks hence the guide you have hired will be of immense help. Once you are ready get going, keep yourself mentally and physically alert and think of further action from the tiger's point of view. Hunting a man eater is very different from hunting a normal tiger. In case of a normal tiger shoot, it is customary to tie bait (a goat or lamb) to tree. The hunter climbs up the tree and sits on a machan (platform) with his gun loaded and awaits the tiger. In the case of a man eater this ploy will not work and perforce you will have to track the tiger. This is dangerous stuff and a great deal of experience and nerve is required for such an operation.
Track the tiger as fast as possible. Follow his spoor and move swiftly. The tiger will probably sense your approach and try to slink away as he can sense that an armed man has approached. There is a good chance that you will be able to confront the tiger if you move swiftly. Once the tiger is sighted take a shot at him as he is moving away. If you are lucky you may get him, otherwise in case he gets wounded he is likely to turn around and attack you. That is a testing moment as you and the tiger will come face to face. In one of my tiger shoots in in Bengal, I had shot at a moving tiger and hit his leg. He turned around and attacked me. Because the beast was injured, the leap of the tiger was not effective and he was slow, hence I could shoot him by firing two shots in quick succession.
The second option is that the tiger may hide in a cave. You will have to enter the cave. It requires nerve as the cave is dark. Hence use a powerful torch which will be handled by the tracker. Move slowly as the tiger will sense your approach. This will be a face to face meeting with the man eater. In such a scenario he will rush headlong at the hunter and spring towards his neck .There will be only one chance in such a scenario. Your aim should be lethal. Aim for the tigers head and fire quickly. Speed is of essence. In case you miss then you can say good bye to this world. There is an excellent adaption of this in the movie "Harry Black and the Tiger" when Stewart Granger approaches the tiger in the cave and shoots the beast.
Though killing a tiger is against all canons of justice and fair play, yet there may be no option if a Tiger turns into a man eater
Hunting a tiger is banned in India. The tiger is a protected species and indiscriminate killing can land you behind bars. In fact killing any protected species will invite criminal action. The Bollywood Film star Salman Khan had shot a black buck in the Indian state of Rajasthan in 1998. He was tried under the protection of wildlife act of 1972(India) and sentenced to a 5 year jail term by the lower court. The case is presently in appeal. However once a tiger is declared a man eater then he can be hunted down.
Man eating tigers terrorize the villages and attack human beings and thrive on them as their prey. Generally man eaters are known to attack villagers who are walking or sleeping alone. There are cases of man eaters removing the door of a hut and carrying away his victim stealthily. There are also cases of Tigers carrying away small children, even from the arms of their mothers. A man eater is a very intelligent beast. He develops a sixth sense that makes him aware that an armed man is approaching. In such circumstances the man eater will mostly slink away into the forest or hide in a cave. Kenneth Anderson and Jim Corbett both veteran hunters of man eaters will vouchsafe for the cunning of the man eater.
The District magistrate will notify all concerned, once a tiger is declared a man eater. You can then opt to go in for the kill. Shooting a man eater however is not an easy task. If you have never shot or taken part in a tiger hunt then it's better to go along with an experienced hunter. Going alone is very dangerous. Having made the decision, it's important to equip yourself as a first step. More important you must be mentally prepared to confront the beast- because he or she is a formidable adversary. Firstly your attire. Wear a pair of strong jungle boots and slightly loose fitting trousers and full sleeve shirt. Do cover your head or wear a jungle hat. Apply sun screen cream on your face and neck as well as mosquito repellent cream on your hand and uncovered portions of your body. Keep adequate quantity of drinking water and some dry biscuits with you to munch along.
Next choosing a weapon is of the utmost importance. A shot gun or small arm will not do and you will have to use a heavy caliber rifle. Preferably you can use a SLR if you have the license for it. Carry the gun loaded and keep spare ammunition handy. In addition you will need a4wheel drive vehicle and an experienced driver. Take a local who knows the jungle routes well. An equally important part is hiring a tracker who can follow the spoor of the tiger. Remember tracking a tiger in the jungles of India is well nigh impossible without a tracker. Hire a trustworthy fellow who is familiar with the area. You will have to shell out money for all these hiring's.
The next step is to study the habitat of the tiger. For example a tiger in the Sunder bans In Bengal and Bangladesh moves in areas which have knee deep water, while a Tiger in the Kumaon hills of Northern India moves in mountain areas. Again a tiger in Central India moves about in thick jungles and small hills.
The last step is to locate the tiger. This could be near the last human devoured by him. You will have to pick up his spoor from there. You will need to track the tiger from his pug marks hence the guide you have hired will be of immense help. Once you are ready get going, keep yourself mentally and physically alert and think of further action from the tiger's point of view. Hunting a man eater is very different from hunting a normal tiger. In case of a normal tiger shoot, it is customary to tie bait (a goat or lamb) to tree. The hunter climbs up the tree and sits on a machan (platform) with his gun loaded and awaits the tiger. In the case of a man eater this ploy will not work and perforce you will have to track the tiger. This is dangerous stuff and a great deal of experience and nerve is required for such an operation.
Track the tiger as fast as possible. Follow his spoor and move swiftly. The tiger will probably sense your approach and try to slink away as he can sense that an armed man has approached. There is a good chance that you will be able to confront the tiger if you move swiftly. Once the tiger is sighted take a shot at him as he is moving away. If you are lucky you may get him, otherwise in case he gets wounded he is likely to turn around and attack you. That is a testing moment as you and the tiger will come face to face. In one of my tiger shoots in in Bengal, I had shot at a moving tiger and hit his leg. He turned around and attacked me. Because the beast was injured, the leap of the tiger was not effective and he was slow, hence I could shoot him by firing two shots in quick succession.
The second option is that the tiger may hide in a cave. You will have to enter the cave. It requires nerve as the cave is dark. Hence use a powerful torch which will be handled by the tracker. Move slowly as the tiger will sense your approach. This will be a face to face meeting with the man eater. In such a scenario he will rush headlong at the hunter and spring towards his neck .There will be only one chance in such a scenario. Your aim should be lethal. Aim for the tigers head and fire quickly. Speed is of essence. In case you miss then you can say good bye to this world. There is an excellent adaption of this in the movie "Harry Black and the Tiger" when Stewart Granger approaches the tiger in the cave and shoots the beast.
Though killing a tiger is against all canons of justice and fair play, yet there may be no option if a Tiger turns into a man eater
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