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

[peter]

01 - THE BOOK

Carrington Turner's book was first published in 1959. I got the Natraj Publishers 2007 reprint and have to admit this reprint, in contrast to the reprint of Hewett's 'Jungle Trails in Northern India', is in excellent condition. Apart from the photographs, I mean.

The book has 12 chapters, most of which are about man-eaters. The reason is Carrington hunted man-eating leopards and tigers for many years. The book only has 190 pages, but it is well written and interesting from start to finish. It is dedicated to " ... the memory of the victims of the man-eaters and bears mentioned in these episodes ... ". Here's the cover of the reprint: 

*This image is copyright of its original author

02 - ABOUT THE WRITER

Carrington Turner was a Forest Officer for more than thirty years. A man 'in the know', that is. During his career in the Indian Forest Service, he spent fourteen years in Kumaon:

*This image is copyright of its original author

All stories are true from start to finish and all felines that featured were measured 'between pegs'. Were they as long as the ones measured by Jim Corbett and others, like Sir John Hewett? Yes. The shortest male tiger was 9.5 and the longest was just over ten feet. The two females taped 8.5 and a quarter and 8.8. 

One of the few flaws in the book is lack of dates. Based on the information he offered, my conclusion was Carrington Turner was in Kumaon between 1912-1926 or thereabout. Roughly the same period Corbett was active in, that is to say.


03 - KUMAON, THE LAND OF MAN EATING LEOPARDS AND TIGERS

Kumoan, large as a result of Corbett's books, has long been known as a remote region that had many man-eating felines. Corbett's experiences regarding man-eaters were confirmed by Carrington Turner. There is, however, a difference in the explanations both offered. Corbett thought most man-eaters turned to humans because of old age and (man-made) injuries, but Carrington has a different view in that he thinks it was a combination of competition and very testing conditions:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

04 - THE GORI MAN-EATERS

Tigers that were outcompeted didn't only come from Kumaon. The Gori tigers (male and female) operated over a hundred miles from the haunts and breeding grounds of Kumaon tigers. Carrington Turner thought they had come from Nepal, but they had probably left for similar reasons as the other tigers he hunted.

At some time, Carrington Turner had been sent to Almora. He made Askote, close to the junction of the Gori and the Kali rivers, as the centre of operations. Timber operations, that is. It was there that he first saw really wild men living in caves. Lean and shy, they moved with the speed " ... and silent purpose of a forest animal ... " (pp. 45-46). He tried to contact them, but they would have had none of it.

The Gori valley was densely wooded:  " ... pine covered most of the slopes, but gave way in places to broad-leaved species under which there was an almost impenetrable undergrowth composed mainly of a shrub with stout, branching stems. The undergrowth was between three and fout feet high, ideal cover for all animals ... " (pp. 46).

When he was informed about the Gori man-eater, they told him there were, in fact, two man-eaters. Both were experienced and not afraid of humans at all. Carrington Turner, when in the valley sleeping in a tent, was paid a visit as well. His dog told him one of the two stayed close to his tent for a long time. When it became clear the pair would have stopped the operations, Carrington Turner decided to beat the animals. He selected a well-concealed position on the ground below the dense forest, with his orderly behind him. This is what he saw:

" ... Apparently undeterred by the hunt, he (the male tiger) was walking at his leisure, cocking one ear backward and then the other, listening to the din behind him. He was not yet broadside on to me. He paused for a moment and looked back. His attention seemed to be concentrated on the noise behind him. He was slowly approaching a point where the whole of his left side would present the target I desired. Never hurrying, he moved along gracefully over the rocks in the shallow bed of the watercourse. It was good to see his supple form with its powerful fore-arms, easily capable of breaking the neck of an ox with a single blow. Looking at him just then, I could not avoid the momentary feeling of regret at the idea of destroying such a masterpiece in curve and colour, in muscle and might. But there was no hesitation in the menace of his thread ... " (pp. 56).

The bullit entered his neck. 

Then " ... Stout branches were cut and fashioned into poles. The man-eater was carried down tot he camp and his magnificence subjected to a mundane measruring-stick. He was nine feet six inches and had clearly passed middle age, although there were no signs of physical handicaps ... "  (pp. 57).

This is the Gori man-eater. Not a great photograph, but it was the only one that made it to the book:

*This image is copyright of its original author

05 - AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN A TIGER AND A WILD BOAR

Carrington Turner once witnessed a fight between a tiger and a wild boar from start to finish when he was near a water-hole in Central India (between the Godavari and Kistna rivers). The incident happened in the third week of May and he and his friend did not intend to shoot animals. They were just watching the many visitors. He saw the largest leopard he had ever seen. Then a wild boar made his appearance:

*This image is copyright of its original author

 
     
 
The boar cooled himself and rolled in the middle of the river-bed. Suddenly he arose:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

The story is much like the others I read. The tiger usually is much more agile and faster, which enables him to control the fight. The hit and run tactic usually pays. As soon as the boar weakens, the tiger gets the opportunity needed. But a boar is a dangerous opponent and only needs one chance to bury his tusks in the belly of the tiger. If he succeeds, the tiger is finished. There are many stories about tigers killed in this way. It's about the details. It always is in a fight to the end.

There was no information on the tiger, but the boar was the largest Carrinton Turner had ever seen. And he had seen and shot one approximately 400 pounds in weight near Mahableshwar (close to the Koyna and Kistna rivers in the western part of Central India). The boar who killed the tiger was larger, so my guess is the tiger only could have been an adult male. Tigers are not invincible, that is, especially when their opponents are dangerous animals. 

Can Indian boars get to 400 pounds and over? My guess is they could some decades ago. Wild boars in western Asia and the eastern part of Siberia are larger, but Indian wild boars are by no means small animals and some are exceptional. Below are three examples of boars capable of killing even a prime tiger (India, Russia and India):

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

And then there is the exceptional animals, the hors category. Large male wild boars can get to 450 pounds and over. In south-western parts of Asia, like Iran not that long ago and Turkey (this photograph), animals of 600 pounds and over may be met at times:   

*This image is copyright of its original author

Brown bears hunt wild boars as well, but they are made of concrete and they are as heavy as their opponent or heavier. In many cases, they just use their weight to overcome the resistance. There is a video on the tube which shows a brown bear restrainting a wild boar in this way.

Tigers are the only real hunters able and willing to take on a large boar. They are large and powerful cats able to overcome most large mammals in a fight, but it's also true they offered concrete for agility and speed. Any mistake can be the end and that is without bad luck. 

Chance is important in any fight and so is confidence. It could turn against you. One male tiger specialized in gaurs overplayed his hand once, but that was enough. Same for tigers who take on bears and wild boars of similar or even larger weight. You never know what will happen. Each and every time a tiger engages a dangerous opponent, anything is possible. This is something many do not seem to appreciate, I think. Reply