The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-11-16
How the Tiger Kills ami Eats.


In paper read before the Bomtay
Natural History Society recently. and
published in its journal, Mr.. Inverarity,
a noted Sltikari. discussed the habits OF
the tiger. and especially the mode in
which it kills and eats IFS prey. Some
think he seizes by the throat. others by
the nape of the neck from above.
M. Inverarity has examined scores
or slain animals with special reference
to this point, ard in every case but one
the throat Was seized from below. The
exc p.ion was an Old boar who had
been seized by the back of the neck
from above. One of single file of vi.
layers who was once seizsd by the nape
OF the neck by man eater, but saved
by his companions, bad no idea when he
recovered his senses what had happened.
Whether dislocation of the neck takes
place is doubtful.
The lame hunting leopards always
kill by pressure OF the windpipe, with.
ou. breaking the skin possibly the
tiger kills in the same way. l. is only
by accident, if a. all, that tigers IN kill
Ing sever any important vein or artery.
and no blood to speak of flows from the
throat wounds. Very large and pow
erful animals like the b1ll. buffalo, and
bison, If attacked at all, are in the first
Instance attacked from the rear, with a
view to disable them.
Having killed, the tiger almost in-
variably begins eating a hind quarter,
consuming one or probably both. Some
times he leaves the stomach and intes-
tines as they are; sometimes be will
remove them TO one side, making a neat
parcel OF them. y tiger and ligress to.
gether will finish an ordinary sized ami
ma at one meal, leaving only the head.
In this case it is probable that the sec
ond begins at the fore quarter. Ami.
mails are meyer eaten where they are
killed, but are always dragged a short
distance. They are not lifted clear of
of the the ground, bu dragged.
Having gorged himself, the tiger
lies close by his prey, but if it is hot
weather and there are hills in the
neighborhood, he will go long distance
OF before resting for the day. He pre-
fers 10 lie in a cool cave or in a breeze
on the hill! side than in the close. hot
jungle.
He returns next night and finishes
what is left, but be never eats Sc
cond tine on the same spot, dragging
the remains Of The prey 40 or 80 yards
OIL. Sportsman coming on a half
devoured animal and desiring to catch
the tiger, tie the prey 80 a tree. The
tiger takes about two hours steady
eating to finish the fore quarters of a
bullock.
Mr.. lnverarity sat over q small tigress
one night who ate for ten minutes, than
went away for twenty, probably TO
drink, and on her return ate steadily
for two and quarter hours. He did
not fire, as he could not see her.
Tigers are cannibals they @ill make
their meals off each other. They are
supposed to kill once in FIVE or elk days.
and no doubs the tiger after a heavy
feed does not care to hunt much for g.
few days but tiger kilIs whenever lie
can. They have been known to kill on
fourteen consecutive nights.
Mr.. Inverarity believes that animals
killed by tigers suffer little beyond the
panic OF few seconds. The shock pro
duces a stupor and dreaminess Ia which
there is no sense of pain or feeling o.
terror. The powerful stroke ot The fore
paw of the tiger is a fiction he clutches
with his claws as one might with the
fingers, but does rot strike e blow.
Tigers wander immense dis; ances at
night, and, as they like easy going, they
go on roads and paths. They do not
like to move during the heat of the day,
as the hot ground burns their pads and
makes them raw. They can on ocea-
sion climb trees.
In Salsette one climbed after Ger
Pandoo, but could not reach him, and
retired. Pandoo, thinking the coast
clear, got down AMI ran toward home.
but on the way was caught by the tiger
and killed
The inquest report stated that "Paudoo
died of the tiger eating him there was
no other cause OF death. Nothing was
left except some fingers, which proba
bly, belonged to the right or left hand. u
Natives have belief that the ghosts of
the man eaters victims ride in his
head and warn him of danger, or point
the way to fresh victims.