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

[peter]

ON MR. LIMOUZIN'S SKULL AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SKULLS OF DIFFERENT BIG CAT SPECIES - III (continuation of post 2,334 and post 2,356)

g - The large leopard seen near Ootacamund in 1920 and 1921

According to Mr. Van Ingen (see -c-), both Mr. Limouzin and a Col. W. had seen a very large leopard close to Dunsandle Estate in 1920 and 1921. Mr. Limouzin " ... had examined him through his glasses ... ", whereas Col. W. saw it " ... standing on a rock 20 yards away looking down on him ... " (from the letter of Mr. Van Ingen to Mr. Prater). Both said the head and fore-quarters seemed 'extremely large'. According to Col. W., who had shot " ... many panthers ... ", it was the largest he had seen.

h - Size of leopards in British India a century ago

In order to get an idea about the size of leopards in what used to be British India India, Ceylon, Burma and the southern tip of Malaysia), we could start with Pocock's great book 'The Fauna of British India', R.I. Pocock, 1939. Volume I (Mammalia, Primates and Carnivora) has 2 tables with measurements. Here's the first:

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All leopards were measured 'between pegs'. The conclusion is male leopards averaged 6.11-7.0 (210,83-213,36 cm.) in total length measured in a straight line. Females shot in Ceylon were about a foot shorter than males. Adult females in India could have been a tad longer than those in Ceylon. The longest female (204,47 cm.) in the table was shot in Tounghoo (Burma).

Pocock's second table has a few skull measurements:

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The table suggests that leopards shot in the northern part of British India could have been a bit larger than those shot in other regions, but one has to remember that individual variation in leopards is pronounced. There is reliable information about exceptional leopards shot in central and southern parts of India.    

What I have on leopards shot in Burma suggest they could have been a bit shorter than in India and Ceylon, but leopards shot in the Naga Hills in the extreme east of India in the same period (1900-1940) more or less compared to those shot in central India and Ceylon:

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i - Size of leopards in southern India

Mr. Limouzin shot his 'panther' near Ootacamund (Ooty) in southwestern India in 1921. In order to get an idea about the size of leopards in southern and southwestern India, we need measurements and weights of leopards shot in that part of India about a century ago. I found 2 tables in the JBNHS.

In July 1938, R.C. Morris (Honnametti Estate, Mysore) sent a letter with measurements of tigers, leopards, bison (gaur) and a sambar shot in southern India to the JBNHS. All leopards, measured 'between pegs', were shot in North Coimbatore. The letter was published in Vol. XL (Misc. Notes, No. IV, pp. 555):

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Maj. E.G. Phythian-Adams hunted leopards and tigers in southern and southwestern India. In August 1938, he sent a letter with information on the size of leopards shot in Mysore and the Nilgiris to the JBNHS. It was published in Vol. XL (Misc. Notes, No. III, pp. 554):

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The letters of R.C. Morris and Maj. E.G. Phythian-Adams suggest there wasn't much to choose between leopards shot in Ceylon and those shot in most other parts of British India a century ago. This conclusion is supported by other hunters. 

The longest shot in Gir (in 1913) by a Mr. E. Brook-Fox was 7 feet and 5,5 inches (227,33 cm.) in a straight line. The next longest, also measured 'between pegs', was 7.4 (223,52 cm.). The " ... remaining males of the hundred odd mentioned above (...) gave two or three measuring 7 feet 2 inches (218,44 cm.) , the usual length was 7 feet (213,36 cm.) or slightly under. All measurements were strictly honest, taken between stakes, and not along the curves ... " (letter of E. Brook Fox of May 7, 1920 in JBNHS, Vol. XXVII, Misc. Notes, No. V, pp. 394-397).    

j - Exceptional leopards and the difference between methods

The letter of Brook Fox was a response to an article of H.H. the Maharajah of Dhar on big game in the Dhar State in Vol. XXVI of the JBNHS. Brook Fox wrote:

" ... I note that out of 106 panthers shot no less than 8 have taped eight feet in length. The Indian Field Shikar book, third edition, 1906, mentions only four panthers of 8 feet and over, viz., one shot by Capt. A.G. Arbutnoth (the longest on record) 8 feet 5,5 inches. One shot by the Maharajah of Cooch Behar measuring 8 feet 4 inches. One of 8 feet 3 inches shot in Gurhwal; and one of 8 feet shot in Pauna.

I fear I am a sceptic in the matter of measurements. I speak from experience as I have been at the death of well over a hundred panthers and not one of them appraoched 8 feet when measured between upright stakes. This experience covers India from Assam to Kathiawar ... " (letter of E. Brook Fox of May 7, 1920 in JBNHS, Vol. XXVII, Misc. Notes, No. V, pp. 394-397).  

All long leopards he referred to were measured 'over curves'. In his letter of May 7, 1920 (pp. 395) Brook Fox wrote a measurement taken 'over curves' adds 2-3 inches to the length 'between pegs', but the difference between both methods could be more outspoken. At least, in northeastern India.

I'm referring to measurements in 'Thirty-seven years of big game shooting in Cooch Behar, the Duars and Assam. A rough diary' (The Maharajah of Cooch Behar, Bombay, 1908). The book of the Maharajah is loaded with measurements of tigers and leopards shot by him and his guests in the period 1871-1907. All big cats were measured 'over curves', but in 1898 a limited number of tigers and leopards were measured both 'over curves' and 'between pegs'.   

One large male leopard shot near the Raidak river on February 8, 1898 was 7 feet 7,5 inches (232,41 cm.) in total length measured 'over curves'. Measured 'between pegs', he was 7.2 (218,44 cm.). The difference between both methods, therefore, was 5,5 inches (13,97 cm.). Another large male leopard, also shot in 1898, was 7.6 (228,60 cm.) in total length measured 'over curves' and 7 feet 1,5 inches (217,17 cm.) when measured 'between pegs' ('Thirty-seven years of big game shooting in Cooch Behar, the Duars and Assam. A rough diary', 1908, pp. 215-216). In this case, the difference between both methods was 4,5 inches (11,43 cm.).

The Maharajah of Cooch Behar and his guests shot 311 leopards in the period 1871-1907. Of these, 5 ranged between 8.0-8.4 (243,84-254,00 cm.) in total length measured 'over curves'. Using the differences between both methods in 2 large male leopards discussed above (4,5 and 5,5 inches), chances are not one of these 5 would have reached 8.0 (243,84 cm.) 'between pegs'. 

The only leopard reaching that mark (8 feet in total length measured 'between pegs') in India, as far as I know, was the 'man-eater' shot in December 2016 in the Bilaspur District in Himachal Pradesh (close to Kasjmir and Pakistan). Measured 'over curves', he was 8.7 (261,62 cm.) in total length. Here's a scan of a newspaper article in The Tribune of December 28, 2016: 

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*This image is copyright of its original author

Most unfortunately, details about exceptional leopards are often missing. Every now and then, however, there's a bit more. Here's a scan of a letter written in June 1928 by Lt. J.R. Stockley Roper I found in the JBNHS. He shot a large animal in Nimar in April 1923. The " ... particularly large panther ... " (from the letter below), 7.8 (233,68 cm.) in total length 'between pegs' and described as 'massive', was measured with a steel tape:

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A long and robust leopard no doubt, but some male leopards shot by Maj. E.G. Phythian-Adams in Mysore (see -i-), although a bit shorter, had a bigger chest and neck. Individual variation (referring to the table of Phythian-Adams) was pronounced. Large females ranged between 6.4-6.10 and a half (193,04-209,55 cm.) in total length 'between pegs'. Reply