The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-02-26
NDIA'S WILD ANIMALS.
Destruction They Wreak in Yeal
in the Land Of Jungles.
Many Hundreds of Human Beings as
Well as Thousands of Domestic AMI
mails Fab Victims to Their Ra-
pacious Appetites.

When we consider that in the tel
years from 1877 to 1887, more than sever
thousand human beings and about on
hundred and sixty thousand cattle wer
killed in India by tigers alone, we ge
an idea of that beasts destructiveness
which no single instance of its ferocit,
will supply.
A recent English writer has given thu
above figures from the official returns t.
the government; but there can be NJ
doubt that many are killed in that vas
country whose deaths are never re
ported.
In addition to the ravages of tigers
leopards, hyenas, bears. wolves, ele
plants and crocodiles kill many people
every year, while the victims of the
deadly snakes seem rather to increase
as they were 10, $50 in 1880 and 10, 74(
in 1887, the last year for which returns
are given.
One reason for this is that many sects
of natives will not kill the cobra ca.
pello, the most common and deadly
snake, which likes holes in old walls or
gardens in the neighborhood of houses.
Often native who discovers that a
cobra has taken up it's abode on his
premises will, for religious-or, rather,
superstitious reasons-propitiate it with
milk instead of killing it.
But aside from snakes, the most de-
structive of wild things is the tiger.
This animal seems quite familiar to us
from tho specimens seen in menageries;
and from repeated descriptions, and yet,
as the writer we speak of says, there
are points about it not generally known.
One is that while most of the cat kind
have vertical pupils to the eyes, the
pupil Of the tigers eye is round and
although its hearing and sight are most
acute, its sense of smell J. very Door.
Its sense of touch seems particularly
well developed in the great wire-like
hairs about the nose, usually called
whiskers in u cat. These have a very
sensitive bulb or root, which is full of
nerves and surrounded by muscular
fibers which move them, and by which
they feel their way through the densest
jungle on the darkest night. The tigers
immense muscular force is well known,
but many are not aware of the peculiar
arrangement of the claws which arm it's
powerful limbs. 1t is evident that if
they projected as they walked, these
sharp weapons would soon be blunted
and worn. They have five toes on each
forefoot and four toes on the hindfeet,
and the claws of these are kept per-
manentIy turned back out of the way of
the tread by a very elastic hgamept.
When the animal wants to use them
they are brought down by the flexor
tendons, the same which close the fin
gers OF PERSONS hand.
The tiger is peculiar to Asia, and
while rather widely spread over that
great continent, is, of course, most
plenty and attains its greatest size and
feroc1ty in the iungles of India proper.
The largest tiger easily exceeds in size
and power the largest lion. The writer
says that he has seen tiger killed
which measured ten feet eight inches,
and he. has known of one or two which
measured twelve feet; but this is the
extreme, and the tigress is, as rule,
smaller. Sometimes, when tiger has
overcome its natural fear of the human
form, he finds it easier to kill men than
cattle, deer or wild. boar, and he then
becomes a man-eater This is said to
be especially true of old tigers, which
have lost their agility and whose teeth
and claws are worn. The writer we
have quoted mentions one tiger, near
Nyneetal, which, for three years,
prowled within circuit of twenty !
miles, and killed an average of eighty
persons each year. at the end of that !
time it was fortunately destroyed On
such matters the natives often have q
fatal apathy, and continue their usual
employment in the same places, while
the savage beast takes toll of their num-
bers every few days.
sometimes herd of cattle will form
IN circle and beat off the attack of a
tiger, while their herdsman is protected
by taking refuge inside, but often thew
make no more resistance and take no
more precautions than sheep would do,
AS general thing, the tiger does not
roar like the lion, although there are
times when he does. He usually emits
a peculiar deep growl when disturbed or
alarmed, which he repeats loudly and
rapidly as he charges; and wounded
tiser, with ears laid back, eyes glaring,
1angs displayed and hair erect, as he
charges with these hoarse, angry growls,
Is one OF the most terrifying of Great
ures, and it requires much more than
nerve for the hunter, however
well armed, to then meet him.
Their night-call to each other is a
long, wailing howl, which is particular
~ alarming, especially when first heard
There are many European sportsmen,
as well as natiyelhunters-called shikar-
'*S-who go long distances to look for
users which have acquired bad repu-
.a'lon, either from man-killing or carry
ing off cattle.
Sometimes the creatures are shot from
elephants, being driven out by the ma
ives, with tom-toms, gongs and shouts;
a. o'ner tunes they are shot from stands ;
III Orees near an animal placed as a de- ,
0oy' Whlle few very bold and expe-
lnehced hunters encounter them on foot.
Ae larger number, however, are caught {