Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-05-08
HUNTING LEOPARDS.
How the Savage Animals are
Utilized in India.
The Ferocious Cheetah Trained by Natives
to Bun Down and Capture Antelopes.

It was here that I witnessed the only
instance / ever saw of the black buck be-
ing run into and killed by the chectah,
or hunting leopard. Many consider this
a low kind of sport, but / think it IS
quite equal to partridge shooting, besides
being d beautiful sight. | shall therefore
describe as well as l can what saw. On
arriving, with my friends, at the place OF
meeting in the jungle, we found & few
rough-and read y-looking natives IN charge
of three carts, orrather small two-wheeed
platforms, drawn by two bullocks. On
each vehicle sat, in an erect attitude, a
beautiful leopard, strongly chained and
with a hood over his eyes, similar to
those used for hawks. We were soon
under way and driving toward the herd OF
antclopes which could be seen grazing IN
the distance and which had been marked
down beforehand. There was no difficult
ty in getting the carts to within 100
yards Of the deer. Then one Of the chez
tabs, a fine male was unhooded and set
free. It's departure from the gharry and
It's decision IN choosing the most covered
line on the open plain for rushing on Its
prey were so instantaneous and rapid as
70 be quite marvellous. 1t S'semed to
vanish from the cart and appear stimuli
t~aneously halfway toward the fine black
buck it had sighted out for attack.
When at about thirty yards from the un-
suspicious troop, they suddenly became
aware Of the deadly peril they were in.
One and all sprang into the air with gal
vanic bounds, and no doubt expected to
escape easily by flight. But the hunting
\cheetah is, | suppose, for a hundred
yards, by far the ~tlcetest Of all wingless
things; and this one was soon in the
midst of the afTrightcd throng, which
scattered wildly and panic-stricken in all
directions, as their lcader-a fine black
buck-was struck down in their midst.
Their he lay, alone, in his death agony, in
the deadly clutch of his beautiful and re-
~lcntless foe. We all ran as hard as we
could, and were soon surrounding the
strange group.
Neither animal moved, for the buck
was paralyzcd by fear-his starting eye
balls and dilatcd ~nostrils alone gave evil
dcnce of life. The chcctah, on the other
hand, with his body spread out over the
PROSTATE form of his victim, seemed to
strain every nerve in pressing his prey
against the earth as, with his long sharp
Gangs buried in its delicate throat, he con-
tinued the process of strangulation. He
was very motionlcss, but his eyes were
fixed upon us with a glare of eXtraordina-
~ ~fcrocity that became intensified as his
keepers rushed forward and seized the
deer by the hind leg. The brute now
growled %fiercely, and, tightening his
clutch, looked so&extrcmcly dangerous
that was far from cnvying those who
were in such. close proximity to him. But
they knew their trade. With a long
HlliI y htllt iILtN CUT Lilc hCtl > CIllOiL 4ild
caused the warm blood to spout in tor
rents into the face of the half-wild beast,
whose whole frame now seemed to thrill
with ccstacy. One Of the operators, in
the meanwhile, caught II quantity of the
rinse life stream in II wooden bowl, and
forced the steam1ng fluid under the very
nose Of the excited leopard, who quitting
his hold, Mt once began to lap with avid
ity. While engaged in this process the
leather hood was swiftly clapped over his
eyes, and the collar with two chains at
tached, was adjusted round his neck.
While this was going on a third man had
cut off one of the bucks kinds legs, and
this the ''jon's share" was held close to
the bloody chalace, which was no sooner
emptied than the brute seized the meat
thus provided with q vice like grip.
Each chain was now graSped by q differ
cnt man, who by keeping apart so that
the tether remained taught, kept The
leopard between them in such q way that
neither was within reach of his claws o
teeth. Then the third individual, whc
had ever retained his hold of the shank
bone of the leg of v%inison, gently drew
the cheetah to the little cart that hac
now been brought close up. As soon q
the beast felt himself against the edge o
his own familiar chariot he sprang'light
ly upon it and proceeded to demolish ri
s~ucculcnt morcequ at his ease. now ii
spected the carcass of the deer, with
view to ascertaining, if possible, how I'll
cheetah had been able so i~nstantaneol
10 strike down such a powerful amin.
immediately or getting up with it. I
once observed a single long deep cash
the flank, which was evidently caused h
the decisive blow. But | could not in
agine with what weapon the leopard ia
been able 70 intlict this very stranr =