ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)

[peter]

A - DIE INSELN DER TAUSEND WUNDER (T. Schilling, Paul Parey Verlag, Hamburg, no year of publication, but the original, in Dutch, was published in 1952, 240 pages)


1 - INTRODUCTION

Some weeks ago, Spalea posted an account about a sun bear and a tiger found dead somewhere in Sumatra. The bear was hugging the tiger and the tiger had his canines in the throat of the bear. They died in battle.

The story, published in a newspaper a long time ago, seems a bit weird, but it could be true. I read many books written by those who lived and hunted in Indonesia. The conclusion is both animals were seen in close proximity on estates created on Sumatra in the first decades of the last century. The reason was food. The estates were a paradise for wild boars and sun bears. As tigers were interested in wild boars, all three met at the estates every now and then.        

As to the book mentioned. I first found the German translation of Schilling's book. Later, I bought the original (in Dutch). The title of the original is 'Tijgermensen van Anai' (Tiger Men of Anai). The scans below are from the German translation.


2 - ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ton Schilling, the writer of the book, met an old man (J. G. van der L.) in a park in a large city in Holland. They talked. The old man had been in Indonesia for a long time. This was in the days it was occupied by the Dutch. Schilling noticed the old man was a walking encyclopedia. His knowledge about animals in particular was striking. It was decided to meet again. And again.

At some stage, Schilling decided to record what he heard. When he was done, he read everything to the old man. He agreed with every detail (and added a lot more every time they met) and asked to dedicate the book to his tracker and companion Hasim.  

The book, therefore, isn't based on firsthand experiences. And then it was. From start to finish.

A remarkable story? Not at all. When I was young, my home town (Amsterdam) was flooded with people who had returned from Indonesia. Indonesia became independant in the early fifties of the last century and many tens of thousands had to be repatriated. I remember the big passenger ships in the harbour.

Quite many of my friends had been born and raised in Indonesia. Their parents had worked for the Dutch, building bridges, roads and villages. They had often worked in wild places and had seen things. I especially liked the grandparents. Many liked to talk about the forest and the animals. The things they told me were later confirmed by Dr. P. van Bree, who also was born and raised in Indonesia.

This is the introduction, in which Schilling explained a few things about the book. Use the transalator:
      

*This image is copyright of its original author

3 - SUN BEARS AND TIGERS

In Sumatra, sun bears were known as Biruangs. The old man told Schilling they were afraid of nothing. Female bears even attacked tigers when they approached their cubs and not every fight was won by the tiger.

In normal conditions, sun bears posed no danger to humans. In contrast to sloth bears, they didn't attack them on sight. Although true omnivores, coconuts in particular were much appreciated by sun bears. This was the reason they were often seen at estates.

Rough translation of the first paragraph:

" ... The bear is not a coward, ..., in courage and power he even outcompetes the tiger at times. When you meet a bear in the forest and do not act in an aggressive way, the bear will move away, not in a hurry, but with the dignity of an animal aware of his strength. When the bear, however, is in a bad mood or when you act in the wrong way, you better take care. A female Biruang will attack a tiger without hesitation when he approaches her cubs and the battle between both doesn't always end in a victory for the tiger ... ":   
  

*This image is copyright of its original author

4 - A MALE SUN BEAR SHOT AT AN ESTATE
 
Sun bears, for the reason mentioned above (food), visited estates quite often. Many didn't care that much about humans. For this reason, some had to be shot. One evening, a large male who came too close for comfort was shot. They dragged him into the washing room in order to have a look at him. 

A rough translation of the part in colour:

" ... It was a strong adult male, about 70 cm. at the shoulder and 150 cm. in total length. His coat was soft and shiny ... On his chest was a yellow circular spot. Hasim told me not all bears had it. The yellow spot is the reason the natives call him Biruang mata hari (sun bear). His limbs were very plump and had thick layers of muscle, the long toes were curved inward and had long claws. All in all, the bear oozed incredible power ... ":

   

*This image is copyright of its original author

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