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

[peter]

DONALD ANDERSON


a - Introduction

I assume that most of you heard about Kenneth Anderson, who wrote a number of books about man-eating leopards and tigers in southern India. They got a lot of attention, as he knew how to tell a story. His skill in that department was a kind of bonus, as his stories didn't really need it. They were true and fascinating from start to finish. Reality often is as intriguing as fiction, if not more so.   

Although different, Jim Corbett and Kenneth Anderson also compared in many ways. Both knew the forest well, both hunted man-eating tigers and leopards, both had their fair share of luck and both decided to write about their experience. We're happy they did, as they're the ones who opened the invisible doors.   

Like Corbett, Anderson preferred to hunt on his own. When he got older, his son Donald joined him. At first he assisted his father, but when he had enough experience he went after a man-eating leopard or tiger on his own. More often than not, he succeeded.

Donald Anderson featured in some of his stories, but he, as far as I know, never wrote about his experience. And there's no doubt that he has lots of that. A man in the know without doubt.

When I tried to find a bit more about him, I got lucky. This post has 4 videos in which he features. 


b - Before you see the videos

Before watching the videos, I propose to read this paragraph. It's about experience and the effect it has. You first need to understand that there is a difference between reading a book, visiting a zoo, working in a facility, seeing a wild big cat from a vehicle and hunting a man-eater on foot.

Most of us read books and visited zoos. A few have experience with captive big cats. Those who saw wild cats, like PC, are even more scarce. It is important to understand that those who interacted with captive big cats or saw their wild relatives were safe when they saw them. The safety was in bars, vehicles, rifles and, peoplewise, numbers.

Those who hunted experienced man-eaters, very different from other big cats, on foot on their own for many weeks and even months were not. In many cases, their presence was known to the cat they were after. All adult wild big cats are great observers and thinking creatures. Those who hunted them often took a long time to get close. When contact was established, it wasn't one-sided. At times, the cat was killed. Every now and then, however, the tables were turned. Some paid with their life. We don't know about that, as those who failed but survived seldom wrote about their failures. 

When you gained experience, no matter in what field, things change to a degree. At first you're not aware of it, but later you realize that exchanging ideas with those who don't have the same experience has become more difficult. If I talk tiger with someone interested in big cats who has no experience and tell him that they are able to reason, they don't quite understand. Not seldom, they don't believe you. When they do, your words often are twisted to a degree. It's not a result of intention, but a result of a lack of understanding. This is something you have to accept.

When you have experience, you will almost inevitably become alienated to a degree. This, I think, is the reason that people in the know often keep quiet about their experience. Only few will try to communicate in a way that, perhaps, can produce a kind of result. Could be a book, a painting, a lecture, a show or something else. It never is direct, but indirect. Just the way it is.  

What I'm saying is that people who know something difficult to understand for others often will become outsiders in some way. When you listen to them, they might seem to be a bit strange at first. My advice is to refrain from opinions and to listen carefully.                    

    
c - Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJznwgzhmCY (tribute - 12:04)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmAaFyTYvsA (tips - 03:31 )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD7m_ygpoQU (those were the days - 05:48)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyXtInDGK6A (elephant's graveyard - 01:25)

There's more where this came from. Interesting if you have read the books of Kenneth Anderson. Reply