The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-20
WILD DIGS OF ASIA.
Packs Of Savage Brutes Which Del b.
erGtely Run Down and XII Tigers.
E.o., - d. 7 -.--s-- c--~~yogo-


From the London Spectator.
The whole tribe OF wild dogs which. in
closely allied forms, are 20 be found in the
widest jungles and woods Of Asia, from the
Himalaya to Ceylon and from China to the
Taurus-unless the golden wolves" OF the
Roman empire are now extinct in the for
ests OF Asia Minor-show an Individual and
corporate courage which entities them TO
high place among the most daring Of wild
creatures. The "red dogs" to give them
their most characteristic name, are neither
large in size nor do they assemble
IN large packs. Those which have
been from time to time measured and
described seem TO average some 3 feet in
length from the nose to the root OF the tail.
The pack seldom number more than nine
or ten, yet there is sufficient evidence that
they are willing and able to destroy any
creature that inhabits the jungle, except
the adult elephant and perhaps rhinoceros,
creatures whose great size and leathery hide
make them almost invulnersble by such
enemies as dogs. The quality OF courage
possessed by the hunting dogs appears IN a
marked difference Of habit from that
noticeable IN all other carnivorous beasts
AS rule, each ferocious animal has its
natural and fRvortte prey which may vary
IN different localities. but is in each case the
easiest and most profitable victim. Tigers,
lOA JLbt1uCct are GdLCi6-bldYeTb OI u66F-
killers, just ss cattle or deer happen to be
most abundant In their district Leopards
prey on goats, sheep 9nd, when
they can get them, on tame dogs; wolves, on
sheep and cattle; stOats, on rabbits and
hares; weasels on rats and mice. But
though the Juugles which they visit abound
in defeuseless animals, the wild dog does
not limit his attack TO these. The packs de-
liberately pursue and destroy both the black
and Himaiayan bears anu Ghe tigers, aft ord
ing, perhaps, the only instance in which
one carnivorous species deliberately sets
itself to hunt down and destroy another
From their rarity, the uninterrupted NATURE
OF the jungles which they haunt and their
habit Of hunting at nighC-which probe-
Bile suggestion. makes the basis Of the early
legions of the demon hunter and the Halle
quin" at time when the red dogs" still
remained in Europe-observation OF their
habits are rare
But the general belief of ths wild tribes
OF India is borne out by two stories told by
Col. Baldwin of their attacking the bear
and tiger, which put the fact beyond doubt.
A bear was found by an English officer
standing at bay before the dogs. He had
killed one; but his hide and body were torn
in strips by the bites OF the pack. In the
other case the fresh bones of a tiger were
found, from which the flesh had bee eaten
one paw still remained whole, and close b.
ouN AIesH4y hAleu oodles OF 1nrse wiz doRS.
which had fallen in the fight. Remeni-
bering not only the strength auu
activity of the tiger, but the as
tonishlng pluck with which, even wheu
wounded, it will constantly charge line of
elephants and endeavor to scale the howdah.
which is, in fact, fort, with an armed gar
rison-it Is difficult to overestimate the
courage of the wild dogs in meeting and de-
stroylng such an antagonist. We think it
extremely probable that the wild dog may
Justify statement once made, perhaps
without sufficient evidence, that they have
IAN inherent hostility to the larger felidae
and are necessarily on the watch TO destroy
their whelps, SO that the species are the in
strument by which nature keeps down the
superabundant increase of the great feline Of
the Wilderness