The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-02-22 00:00:00

A TIGER HUNT IN A BOTANICAL
GARDEN.

The Calcutta Englishman gives the following account of
wbat IL describes as two days' sport with a tiger in the
Botanical Gardens, near Calcutta :

On Monday. January, 6, two tigers belonging to
the ex King of Oudh, whose house is on the Lit bank
of the Hooghly, escaped from their cages, a keeper
having incautiously left the door of their cage open
when cleaning it. One was shortly alter killed in the
King's grounds by a superintendent of police; the
other swam across the river and landed near the ghat
in the Botanical Gardens. Shortly after landing he
knocked down and mauled Mr. Bierman, one of the
European assistants. Mr. Scott and he had, after
first seeing the tiger, gone into a house, but
came out again to look for the brute, their atten-
tion being momentarily disturbed by the chattering of
a monkey (an unusual sound in the Botanical gardens).
The brute seized his opportunity, and springing
past a native, who was in front of the two
gentlemen, knocked down one; he then immediately
returned to his lay, and remained in the gardens all
day. Owing to the presence of Stripes in the gardens
various picnic parties had to return without landing,
though one party foolishly insisted on landing not-
withstanding contrary orders, hut was soon obliged to
beat a retreat. Towards nightfall the brute was heard
giving tongue near the banyan tree, and shortly before
daybreak it killed two bullocks in a small clearing a
short distance to the north of the tree. The bullocks
were tied up in a shed; one it dragged outside, and ate
one hind-quarter, the other it left dead inside. Early on
Tuesday morning some native shikaris were in the
gardens trying to stalk Stripes; one of them, while
peering into a small brake, was severely handled, and
is not expected to recover. During the day these
shikaries were reinforced by some gentlemen from
Calcutta; but their efforts to get near Stripes were
unavailing, and they retired about four o'clock and
left the grounds. In the afternoon a machau was
erected in the jungle to the north of the gardens, near
the scene of the kill, from the top of which the shikaris
might have an opportunity of potting Stripes, should
he return to the scene of his feast the night before. To
make matters doubly sure an awning was improvised
on the roof of a small pucka house not far from the kill,
and a live lsullock was securely tied to a tree a few
yards distant from the house ssithin full view of the
shikaries on the roof, some plantain trees being cut
away to give better aim. A speculation had arisen as
to whether Stripes would prefer dead meat to live ; in
the course of the night the question was soon set at rest.
Shortly after six, four gentlemen proceeded from,
Bishop's College to the scene of the kill, and placed them-
selves in positions for a good shot : two on the machan,
two on the top of the pucka house. It was then dis-
covered that shooting could not be depended on without
something to eat; one of the party immediately went
off for materials for food and drink, and as he was re-
turning with a chaukidar, distinctly heard Stripes not
far off. Be hastened on with the food, which was
soon dispatched inside the pucka house, tables and
chairs being dispensed with. Posts were again taken
up, and soon after the brute was again heard
giving tongue, as he was prowling about in search of
food; this went on for tabout an hour, the bullock
near the house showing evident signs of intense alarm,
though perfectly silent. For half an hour after this the
stillness of a clear moonlight night remained perfectly
unbroken : all eyes were on the stretch, when sud-
denly, with a magnificent bound, a fine full grown
tiger was on the bullock. Instantly a shot was tired,
the brute doubled up, and the bullock bolted off at full
speed; another shot was now fired and Stripes evi-
dently received this too, for he sprang aside into the
jungle about twenty paces, moaned, acid all was still.
The shikaris being uncertain whether Stripes • was
really dead, determined to spend the rest of the night
where they were, it not being considered safe in
the uncertain light of the moan to venture in
search of him, beaters being at a discount.
Soon after, some chaukidare arrived with beaters,
and passed close to Where Stripes was last
seen: the men on the machan then came down
and spent the rest of the night on the more com-
fortable roof of the packa house belonging to a cow-
keeper. As soon as it was light all hastened down to
have a look, and there sure enough was Stripes, a
magnificent animal, lying on his right side quite dead.
One shot had caught him in the left shoulder, the
other in the right flank. The honour of this kill rests
with Mr. Waco, of Howrah.