The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-12-05
How the igor KIIIs and Eats.

IN q paper read beiore the -bOmDay
Natural History Society," recently, and
PHblishedlin.iss journal, Mr.. Inverarity,
q noted shskdri. discussed the habits Of
the tiger, and especially the mode in
which il kills and ats its prey. Some
think he seizes it by the throat. Others by
the nape Of the neck from above.
Mr.. ~Inyerarisy has examined scores of
ssain animals with special reference to
this poiat, and in every case but one the
throat was seized from below. The ex-
eeption was an old boar who had been
seized by the back of the neck from
above. One Of q single file of villagers
who was onc seized by the nape of the
neck by a man eater, but saved by his
companions, had no idea when he reeov-
cred his senses what had happened.
Whether dislocaiion Of the neck takes
place is doubtful
The tame hunting leopards always Kill
by pressure on the windpipe, without
breaking the skin possibly the tiger kills
in the same way. 1t is only By accident
II 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, 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 invari-
ably begins a hind quarter, consuming
Z or probably both. Sometimes he
leaves the stomach and intestines as they
are; sometimes he will remove them to
n side, making a neat parcel of them.
A tiger and tigress together will finish an
ordinary sized animal at one meal, leav-
ing 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 distance. They are not lifted clear
of the ground, but dragged.
Having gorged himself, the tiger lies
close by his prey, but If it is hot wealth.
er and there are hills in the neighbor-
hood, he viii go a long distance off before
resting for the day. He prefers to lie in a
cool cave or in a breeze on the hillside
than in a close, hot jungle.
He returns next night and finishes
what is left, hut he never eats a second
time on the same spot dragging the re-
mains Of the prey 40 or 30 yards of.
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 4 bullock.
Mr.. lnyerarity sat over a small tigress
n night who ate for ten minutes, then
went away for twenty, probably to drink,
and on her return ATE steadily for two
and 2 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 sup
posed to kill onee in five or six DAYS, and
no doubt the tiger after a heavy feed
does not care to hunt much for a few
days; but tigers kill whenever they 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 a few seconds. The shock pro-
duces a stupor and dreaminess in which
there is no n Of pain or feeling::of ter
ror. The powerful stroke OF the fore paw
Of the tiger Is a fiction he clutches with
his claws as one might with the fingers,
bat does not strike a blow.
Tigers wander immense distances at
night, and, as they like easy going, they
go oil roads and paths. They do not like
TO moy during the heat of the day, as
the hot ground burns their pads and
makes them raw. They can on occasions
climb trees.
In Salsette one climbed after a certain
Pamdoo. but could not reach him, and re-
tired. Pandoo, thinking the coast clear,
got down and ran toward home, but on
the way was caught by the tiger and
killed.
The inquest report stated that "Pandoo
died Of the tiger eating him there was
no other cause Of death. Nothing was
left except some fingers, which probably
belonged to the right or left hand" Ma
tives have a belief that the ghosts of the
man-eater's victims ride in his head and
warn him of danger, or point the way to
fresh victims