Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-02
CAPTURING LIVE TIGERS.
An Exciting Experience in Securing
Fierce Animal for a McnnSeri.

An Exciting Experience in Securing
Fierce Animal for Mcnngeri.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
Inc business of replenishing menaenries
with wild animals is Interesting especially
when the circus agents go directly TO the
haunts of the beasts to capture them alive
j. Is. Gaylord formerly agent for the Ring
ling Brothers circus, has had some thrill
ing experiences in this work Some time
ago he wrote the Ringlings from Singapore
about hunt to capture tigers alive
Among other things he wrote:
Although the island of Singapore is only
fourteen miles In extent there are no less
than 500 tigers that inhabil its woods and
people here do not venture alone beyond the
city limits after nightfall. The first night
or my arrival here while our ship Law in
the harbor. could plainly hear the roar
ing of the bloodthirsty beasts as they
proWled around the outskirts of the city in
search of prey. Mr.. De Silva. the native
agent. having located several tigers trails
We started on foot with about fifty natives
me following morning. The trip to the first
tiger trail was only three or four miles. and
we arrived at this point at about o'clock
After locating the trail exactly and find
ing the stream to which the tiger must
break for water each night on awakening
from his aff-day sleep the habit of the
tiger we set about making our prepara-
tons In the direct path of the tiger we
fifteen feet deep. but much longer ard
wider at the bottom than at the top. All
the dirt dug from the pit was carefully re-
moved to a considerable distance By the
natives, and they showed great and
Skill in not leaving any external evidence
of the fact that a big hole had been dug.
A lot OF bamboo strips Were next laid over
the pit, and these. covered with dry leaves
made to appear like the general surround
ingS.
I'VE next took three bamboo sticks about
twelve feet in length and placed them in
the form of tripod directly in the center
of the pit. From the top of the bamboo
sticks some of the natives suspended live
goat by a cord barely strong enough to
bear its weight and sure to break if the
tiger leaped upon the goat. Everything
being in readiness for Mr.. Tiger, as soon as
he chose to go against out little game. Mr..
De Silva and myself, as well as the natives,
repaired to hut about eighty rods distant
and awaited developments. 1t had been
dark about an hour, and l began to think
we We're going to be disappointed. when
one of the natives rushed into the hut cry
ing: Lend beshma.
THE furious cries of the tiger had star
tied him with a terrific roar it sprang
upon the suspended goat, and. going down
with its burden, sank into the mcrciless
pit prepared for 1t. Igniting a number of
torches both to light the way and to fore
stall any attack that might possibly be
made upon us from wild animals, pro-
ceeded in a body to the pit. The roars of
to leap upward to gain his freedom AS ]
have already explained to you. the sides of
the pit slanted inward toward the top, and
at every effort the tiger could be heard
striking his nose against the loose earth.
This frantic behavior was kept up for
about an hour. when, entirely exhausted,
the fierce king of the jungle lay perfectly
quiet at the bottom of the pit. Two of the
natives now lowered bamboo basket into
the pit, letting the open side fall directly
over the supine form of the tiger. I'M
mediately after this a number of natives
jumped into the pit and began crowding
rattan withes through the sand beneath
the tiger and bringing them around the
basket. In this manner the tiger was in
few minutes inclosed in the bamboo basket.
Returning to the hut, we awaited the
dawn, and as soon as it appeared the ma
tives went back to the pit and lifted the
basket containing the tiger out of it, We
detailed ten of the coolies to take our cap
tive to the city. Before they started took
look at our prize through the rattan
withes. He was magnificent specimen,
but the sorriest-looking specimen I ever
saw. He was covered with blood from his
frantic efforts to get out of the pit. and the
skin was peeled from his nose and face
while the eyes were almost entirely closed
by the swollen face"