Interspecies hybrids: natural & artificial

[peter]

This is from 'Forty years among the wild animals of India, from Mysore to the Himalayas' (F.C. Hicks, Allahabad, 1910). Hicks was Assistent-Conservator of the Imperial Forest Service of India and had forty years of experience. It's the only authentic report on a wild hybrid I consider reliable. The total length was measured 'between pegs' and Hicks probably shot the animal in 1889, when he was mauled by a tigress in Mandla (Central Provinces).

A 'dogla', by the way, was a common name for a large forest panther. In those days, many hunters thought there was a distinct difference between small leopards living close to villages ('pantherets', to quote Hicks) and forest leopards or panthers. An average male forest leopard was about 7.5 in total length and 150 pounds, whereas an average 'pantherets', again according to Hicks, seldom exceeded 50 pounds (...) and 6 feet. Both, of course, later joined Panthera pardus. Sexual dimorphism in Panthera pardus is more outspoken than in all other big cats.

The hybrid Hicks described seems a bit far-fetched, but it is a fact there is another reliable story on what seemed like an alliance between a very old male tiger and a large male leopard in Central India in 'Call of the tiger' (M.M. Ismael, London, 1964, pp. 94-146). Both often walked together and both were seen many times by villagers. It seemed the more aggressive leopard made all kills, but before he did the tiger had said booohh. Ismael, most unfortunately, later shot the leopard. It was a thick-set male with a massive head and a powerful body measuring no less than 7.10 in total length ('between pegs'). Everything he found during his quest confirmed both animals had worked closely together. Strange, but in the forest anything is possible.

Here's Hicks on the hybrid he saw:

*This image is copyright of its original author

. Reply