Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-05-17

/ The Asian lion Is not 80 formidable
an animal as his African cousin. and 4,
said to be dying out. although very nu
"ierous IN ancient times It's large head
anu name give II an imposing appear
ance. hut II is really smaller in BODY
ana less powerful than the tiger. espe.
clally in the hind-quarters. Those who
are familiar with the habits of both ami.
mails say that the lion is holder. or AT
least less sneakfng than the tiger. and
that. among all animals. IL prefers the
donkey for food. From its rapidly-de-
ereasing numbers, IL now does compara-
uyely little damage in India.
The leopard Is found all over India. as
wei as in Ceylon and Africa. Some
naturalIsts think the leopard aud
panther are of different species. but
most consider them only varieties
ne leopard is much more active than
the tiger, and climbs trees almost as
readily as cat while IL can spring To
most surprising heights. IL is a most
bloodthirsty. bold and destructive ami
mai. carrying of sheep, goats, and es-
pecially dogs so that, in some Of the
Indian hill-stations. IL is difficult to
keep dog. for the daring leopard will
enter hnts, tents and outhouses in search
of them; and there are numerous in
stances OF their coming upon the yer
andas of country houses and taking a
dog from the side Of his master as eact
was enjoying nap in the cool of the
evening. Their movements are SO
stealthy and silent. and at the same
time so bold. that even the usual canine
vigilance is baffied
A tiger will seldom voluntarily APP
proach a human habitation, but the
bolder and more aggressive leopard con
stantly does 80. The leopard is fond
OF rocky places and caves, aud froln
them, as well * from overhapgIns
branches, Is apt to spring on passing
animals. But IL Is SO active that its
prey is very varied in kind. and IL ce-
stroys great many peacocks and other
large birds which roost In trees.
Sometimes. like the tiger. leopards
become man-eaters; and Blandford says
that. in the Sonthal and in the Central
Provinces, they became. about 1850. very
destructive to human life. even taking
women and children out OF their own
houses. One leopard, near place
called Seoni. is said to have killed near
ly two hundred human beings in two
years. He was at last shot.
Leopards are silent animals, but II
wounded. make grating roar when
charging at which time they are almost
as dangerous as a tiger IL takes 10 the
water readily. and swims we'll; but
| Gttsif, .rssh hnt
feline character would lead us to sup
pose.
Three Thousand eight hundred and
twenty-five leopards were killed in India
during 1887, and they killed during that
year two hundred and ten human beings
and nearly twenty-five thousand ami
mails mostly sheep. goats and dogs.
Another formidable animal of India
is the hyena; but sneaking and coward
ly In nature, II is apt only to attack in
firm old people or children who happen
TO be- alone. II comes out only at night
from the caves and ravines which II
haunts one peculiarity of this animal
is its enormous strength of jaw. one
snap of which will crush the bones Of
the largest man, while by gnawing 1t
soon makes away with the large bones
OF even the elephant and the wild buf-
falo.
In lss1 thirteen hundred and ninety
hyenas we're destroyed in India. and
these animals killed in the same year
seventeen human beings and about
three thousand head of domestic cattle.
Their food is principally carrion.
The Indian wolves are more destruct-
i've than The hyenas. especially with
cattle, but they seldom attack any
other human beings than children.
whom they are said always 10 seize by
the threat. Between six and seven
thousand wolves were killed in 1887.
Although bears live mostly upon roots.
Wild fruits and berries. they sometimes
attack human beings: and in recent
and well authenticated case. a bear en-
tered a house in village and killed
several people before it was itself de-
stroyed.
Elephants those which are called
'rogues still kill many people,
although now that the government pre-
serves their haunts. such deaths are not
50 frequent When an elephant kills a
man. he generally does so by dashing
him 10 the ground with his trunk, and
then crushing him with the fore feet and
hind feet, In former days many of the
native rulers of the Indian states had
elephants as exeeutioners, trained for
the purpose.
The wild boar sometimes kills people
In India, hut II is mostly those who are
hunting him for pig-sticking, as IL l.
called. i a favorite sport all over the
country In bengal the hoars are often
three feet high at the shoulder. and have
most formidable tasks, with which they
IAN infiict fearful wounds. and their
strength. courage and activity are So
great that they often put the tiger To
flight when attacked by him. They do
great damage to the crops, and there
fore the natives are always glad 10 see
them killed
The crocodile j. very destructive In
the great country Of which We are speak
ing In such regions AS the sunder-
bunds. which are low and marshy, Gu,
lp by creeks. and at the delta of the
river Ganges, crocodiles are very numer'
ous and dangerous. often seizing peo-
pie who are bathing, or even dipping
water, as well a. CARRYING OIL cattle and
other domestic animals
The celebrated sir Joseph FayreI
SAYS that he once saw man seized as
be Was swimming across a huhdh, or
stream. holding the tail of cow which
he was driving before him The croco-
diic caught the man by the leg. and as
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