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

[peter]

BOOK: The Last White Hunter - Reminiscences of a Colonial Shikari
AUTHOR: Donald Anderson with Joshua Mathew
ISBN: 978 - 93 - 85509 - 12 - 4
PUBLISHER: Indus Source books (March 2018)

*This image is copyright of its original author

KENNETH AND DONALD ANDERSON

Kenneth Anderson had a reputation in India before he started writing. The reason is he hunted man-eating tigers and leopards in southern India. His books, like those of Jim Corbett, were special. Not many hunters write about their experience. Those who did, often struggled to find the right words. Jim Corbett and Kenneth Anderson didn't.

Some chapters of Kenneth Andersons books have been discussed in this thread. In quite a few of them, his son Donald featured. Some time ago, I found a few videos in which Donald talked about the things he had seen. Interesting stuff. If you want to know more, read post 1,298 in this thread.

REVIEWS

I got a review copy of the book some weeks ago. I'll need time to read it (see below). Others already did. Here's a list of reviews: https://www.thelastwhitehunter.com/media-reviews

MEANING OF 'THE LAST WHITE HUNTER'

Today, I read a recent report about deforestation. To keep it short: the rate of destruction didn't change. Every year, a region four times the size of the Netherlands is chopped to pieces. If we add all the rest of it (climate change, polluted oceans and a lot more), chances are it will affect the outlook of many. The article is in Dutch: https://nos.nl/artikel/2238662-trend-wereldwijde-ontbossing-zet-vrijwel-net-zo-hard-door.html 

A century ago, Hermann Wiele, working for Hagenbeck, visited southern India. He wrote a book about his experience. It was published in 1910. In those days, the forests were so extended that you could walk for weeks and never see a soul:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Kenneth Anderson and his son Donald lived in southern India. They saw something that is all but gone today. Most people who lived in the this world never talked about it, but some hunters did. I met a few of them. It took quite an effort. They were as elusive as the animals they once hunted.

When I started visiting museums to measure skulls, I was met by a man who knew about the old world. He had hunted in India most of his life. His trade was tigers. I don't know how he knew about me, but he did. I was invited by a middleman. One day, we met. He did the talking and I made notes. This is how I came to know a bit about the world I had only seen in books. 

All hunters I met were men of few words. In spite of that, they conveyed information. Lots of it, in fact. One could say they talked liked they hunted in that everything they said had meaning and direction. Very often, it was way too fast for me. The reason is I grew up in a world with a lot of blanks. People talk a lot today, but what they say can be stored in one egg. The trainers I interviewed were not very different from the hunters I met. As a result of bad experiences, quite a few were ruled by distrust. Those able to overcome it talked like they acted in that everything had intention. As a result of their bond with the cats, they still lived in the old world. Hunters were different from trainers in that they had given up on humans a long time ago. At least, that's what I concluded after some time. 

Anyhow. Those who know about the world that has largely been destroyed in the last 50 years or so often are elusive and distrustful. A great pity, as they have a lot to say. Donald Anderson was raised in a world we don't know and don't understand. When he saw what was happening all around him, he retreated. The older he got, the more he faded.  

Joshua Mathew took his time to connect to a man loaded with knowledge. A man he had wanted to meet for a long time. In the end, he succeeded. Donald Anderson started talking. One more time he talked about the world he had known so well. Joshua listened and made notes. In this way, he opened the door to an unknown room. A room with a view. And what a view it is. May seem self-evident to you, but it isn't. In fact, it's special. So special, I would advice to buy the book unseen. It's a treasure. Many thanks on behalf of our readers, Joshua. Great job.

A great achievement deserves a great review.

Entering a lost world isn't easy. You will be disconnected for some time, meaning you need to take your time to do it right. I read a bit every few days, but don't really enter. Not yet. But in the fall, I will. Joshua Mathew won't be disappointed. Reply