The Washington bee., 1888-11-17
HOW THE TIGER KILLS AND
EATS.
cientinc American.

~
ly, and published in its journal,
Mr., Inverarity, noted SHIKARI,
discussed the habits Of tue tiger,
and especially the mode in which
it kills and eats its prey. Some
think he seizes 10y the throat. others
by the nape of the neck above.
Mr.. Inverarity has examined
scores of slain animals with special
reference to this point, and in every
case but one the throat was seized
from below. The exception was an
old boar who had been seized by
the back of the neck from above.
One of single file of villagers who
was ouce seized by the nape OF the
neck by a man eater, but saved by
his companions. had no idea when
he recovered his senses what bad
happened. Whether dislOcation of
the neck takes place is doubtful.
The tame hunting leopards al
ways kill by pressure on The wind
pipe, without breaking the skin;
possibly the tiger kills in the same
way. 1t is only by accident, if at
all, that tigers in killing sever any
important vein or artery, and no
blood to speak of flows from the
throat wounds. Very large and
powerful animals like the bull, buf
falo, and bison, if attacked at all,
are in the first instance. attacked
from the rear, with view to dis
able them.
Having killed, the tiger almost
invariably begins eating a hind
quarter, consuming one or probably
both. Sometimes he leaves the
intestiues and stomach as they are !;
sometimes he will remove them to
one side making a neat parcel OF
them. A tiger and tigress togeth-
er will finish All ordinary sized
animal at one meal, leaving only
the head. In this case it is prob.
able that the second begins at the
fore quarter. Animals are never
eaten where they are killed, but
are always dragged a short dis
tance. They are not lifted clear OF
the ground but dragged.
Having gorged himself, the Tiger
sometimes lies close to his prey,
but if it is hot weather and there
are hills in the neighborhood, he
will 60 long distance off before
resting for the day, He prefers to
lie i'm a cool cave or in a breze on
the hill side than i'm the close, hot
jungle.
He returns next night and fill
isbes what is left, but be never
eats a second time on the same
spot, dragging the remains of the
prev 40 or 80 yards off. Sportsmen
coming on a half devoured animal
and desiring TO catch the tiger, tie
the prey to a tree. The tiger takes
about two hours steady eating to
finish the fore quarters of bullock.
Mr.. Inverarity sat over a small
tigress one night who ate for tel
minutes, then went away for TWEEN
ty, probably to drink, and on her
return ate steadily for two and a
quarter hours. He did not fire as
he could not see her.
Tigers are cannibals they will
make their meals off each other.
They are supposed to kill once in
five or six days, and no doubt the
tiger after heavy fead does not
care to hunt much more for few
DAYS; but the tiger kills whenever
he can. They have been known to
kill on fourteen consecutive nights.
Mr.. Inverarity believes that ami
mails killed by tigers suffer little
beyond the panic of a few seconds.
The shock produces stupor and
dreaminess in which there is no
sense of pain or feeling of terror.
The powerful stroke of the fore
paw of the tiger is fiction; he
clutches with his claws as one might
with the fingers, but does not
strike a blow.
Tigers wander immense distances
at night, and as they like easy
going, they 60 on roads and paths.
They do not like to move during
the heat of the day, as the hot
ground burns their pads and make
them raw. They can on occasion
climb trees.
In Salsette one climbed after a
certain Pandoo, but could not
reach him, and retired. Pandoo,
thinking the coast was clear, got
down and ran toward home, but on
the way was caught by the tiger
and killed.
The inquest reported that "Pan-
doc died of tiger eating him: there
was no other cause of death. Moth.
ing was left except some fingers,
which probably belonged to the
Rfht or left hand" Natives have a
belief that the ghosts of the man
caters victims ride i'm his head and