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

peter Offline
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( This post was last modified: 09-23-2020, 08:34 PM by peter )

1 - BIG GAME SHOOTING IN NEPAL - E.A. SMYTHIES (Chief Conservator of Forests, U.P.)


*This image is copyright of its original author


2 - DEDICATION

If I would say I'm not quite as informed on nobility as others, it would be an understatement. For this reason, I decided to say I never saw a longer introduction than the one below:   



*This image is copyright of its original author


3 - THE BOOK

It cost me a small fortune, but I decided it was worth it. I got it yesterday and will take some time to read it. My first impression is the book compares to the book of the Maharajah of Cooch Behar and the one written by Sir John Hewett. All three books have a lot on tigers, but both Hewett and the Maharajah of Cooch Behar were more extensive on measurements. Those interested in details, therefore, will be disappointed. This, however, wouldn't hold for length. There are dozens upon dozens of measurements in the book. 

The book of Smythies has a few very nice maps and photographs and also offers a bit more on Nepal, the Nepalis, the country and its history and, of course, the animals. That'a apart form nobility and shooting, of course. The book I now have belonged to an officer of the Gurkha Rifles who bought or got it in 1947. I will treasure it.

4 - METHODS, MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

In central India, tigers were measured 'between pegs'. In Assam and north-west India, tigers were measured 'over curves'. This was the tradition and hunters adapted to it. Same for Forest Officers, like Smythies. The other way round was also true. Those trained in central India had to adapt to the tradition in the north.

If you would have had the opportunity to talk to Sir John Hewett or one of the Maharajah's and said you would have preferred straight line measurements over curve measurements, chances are you would have entered problems. Measurements, more so than in other parts of India, were considered very important. They were taken with great care and considered as absolutely reliable. Questions were seen as inappropiate. And the end a nice career.

As to records. The longest shot in Cooch Behar and north-west India were just over 10.5 'over curves'. Hewett wrote the difference between the two methods was 2-5 inches, but the longest shot by the Maharajah of Cooch Behar was 10.5 'over curves' and 9.10 'between pegs'. 

Averagewise, male tigers in north-west India topped those shot in north-east India by a few inches. My guess is Nepal tigers outaveraged those shot in north-west India by a few inches. Here's a bit more on how tigers were measured (at the end):


*This image is copyright of its original author
 

5 -  PHOTOGRAPHS

a - This photograph isn't from the book. I now realize it was the Maharajah of Nepal and therefore posted it.

The tiger in the centre is one of the largest I saw. The photograph shows Nepal tigers are a bit different from those in north-west and north-east India. The seem longer and a bit less massive, but I think this could be a misinterpretation. The tiger in the centre, although very large, shows he also was robust:



*This image is copyright of its original author
 

b - This photograph is from the book. It shows the Maharajah with three tigers. The tigress (left) is the longest shot (9.8 'over curves'). The male on the right was one of the longest shot (10.8 'over curves'). The photograph is deceptive:



*This image is copyright of its original author


6 - MORE

The next post on the book of Smythies could take a while. I want to read the book first. After that, a few tables will be made.

As for Guate's question on the immense 705 lbs. male shot by the Maharajah. There is no photograph, but a plate. There are no details, apart from the fact that the tiger, although heavier than others, wasn't the only one who reached 10.9 (...). What to make of that? Based on what I know about Sir John Hewett, Dunbar Brander and Forest Officers in general (way more reliable than many modern biologists regarding measurements and methods), my conclusion is the record is reliable.

Animals we now see as impressive were perhaps a bit more common back then. My guess is the tiger was 10.2-10.4 'between pegs' and robust. Maybe he would have compared to the Sauraha tiger after a feast. A century ago, experienced hunters agreed Indian tigers ranged between 200-700 pounds. My guess is nothing changed regarding exceptions, although one would have expected to see more a century ago.    

The book also has information on a few strange incidents. Himalayan bears, tigers, wild boars and leopards caught in one hunt and more engaged in conflict than in something else, for example.

And then there was the African lions. African lions in Nepal in the 1930s? You mad? No. In those days, you could pretty much do as you pleased with animals when you had money to spare and good contacts. So the Maharajah got his African lions. I don't know how long they had been in Nepal, but I do know they were set free about a months before they were hunted. Set free to be hunted? Yes. The male and the female were shot because they were considered dangerous. So you move an animal to another continent, set it free knowing he knows next to nothing about Nepal and then blame and shoot him for trying to survive by killing cattle? Yes. 

There's a few things that are not easy to swollow. But one has to remember it was another time and things were a bit different from today. I'll leave it at that.
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Messages In This Thread
RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - TIGERS (Panthera tigris) - peter - 02-19-2015, 01:57 PM
Demythologizing T16 - tigerluver - 04-12-2020, 11:44 AM
Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 07-28-2014, 09:54 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 07-28-2014, 10:02 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 07-29-2014, 12:56 AM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - peter - 07-29-2014, 07:05 AM
Tiger recycling bin - Roflcopters - 09-04-2014, 01:36 AM
RE: Tiger recycling bin - Pckts - 09-04-2014, 02:22 AM
RE: Tiger recycling bin - Roflcopters - 09-05-2014, 01:01 AM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 11-15-2014, 10:07 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 11-15-2014, 10:57 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 11-15-2014, 11:33 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - Apollo - 02-19-2015, 11:25 PM
RE: Tiger Data Bank - GuateGojira - 02-23-2015, 11:36 AM
Status of tigers in India - Shardul - 12-20-2015, 03:23 PM
RE: Tiger Directory - Diamir2 - 10-03-2016, 04:27 AM
RE: Tiger Directory - peter - 10-03-2016, 06:22 AM
Genetics of all tiger subspecies - parvez - 07-15-2017, 01:08 PM
RE: Tiger Predation - peter - 11-11-2017, 08:08 AM
RE: Man-eaters - Wolverine - 12-03-2017, 11:30 AM
RE: Man-eaters - peter - 12-04-2017, 09:44 AM
RE: Tigers of Central India - Wolverine - 04-13-2018, 01:17 AM
RE: Tigers of Central India - qstxyz - 04-13-2018, 08:34 PM
RE: Size comparisons - peter - 07-16-2019, 05:28 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - peter - 05-20-2021, 07:13 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - Nyers - 05-21-2021, 08:02 PM
RE: Amur Tigers - peter - 05-22-2021, 08:09 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - GuateGojira - 04-06-2022, 12:59 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - tigerluver - 04-06-2022, 01:08 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - tigerluver - 04-06-2022, 09:08 AM
RE: Amur Tigers - tigerluver - 04-06-2022, 11:30 PM
RE: Amur Tigers - peter - 04-08-2022, 07:27 AM



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