Tiger-Slaying in the Wynaad.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 32, 7 February 1891, Page 4 (Supplement)

Tiger-Slaying in the Wynaad.

Among the hill tribes of the Wynaad there is a novel method of netting and destroying a tiger, which has somewhat of thecfraracter of a religious festival, and which is attended with "much excitement and soma danger. Quite recently there was, reports a Madras paper, such an exhibition ab a place called Kuntichadi, nob far from the borders of the Rockwood estate, at which, the paper in question informs us, several Europeau ladies and gentlemen were present. It was determined by the Ghettiar and the inhabitants of the neighbourhood to get rid of an immense tiger that had already destroyed several head of cattle, and a carcase was traced into the midst of a neighbouring piece of jungle on the slope of a hill, aboub a mile and a half from the hamlet. Along the lower sides of this jungle a line wae cleared, and net 3, made of coir rope, were sot up on posts, some Bft apart, while above an entrance was left for the tiger. At night the villagers and their friends mounted trees and other points of vantage and waited, armed with spears, some 18 and 12fb in length, for the advent of the tiger. He did nob disappoint them, bub appeared during the nighc, and entered the inclosure of nets through the opening left for him. After invoking divine assistance, and encouraged by one who was believed to be under inspiration, the watchers descended from their posts, 4J*l with yells and shouts drove their royal victim into the middle of the inclosure, when they closed the entrance with more posts and rope netting. The men remained round tha jungle all nighb, lighting fires bo prevent any attempt at escape ; and at noon the following day, after more ceremony and much feasting, the whole country turned out in holiday attire to witness the work of destruction. The tiger, which was a fine brutfl, measuring about ten feet, was then roused up to bestir itself, by sundry insults from stones and sticks, and ib made several furious rushes at its tormentors, only to be foiled by the net. After several charges, however, ib got disheartened and retired to the middle of the enclosure, from which nothing would induce it to move. The circle of rope-net was then drawn closer rovlnd ib until the tiger could be reached with bhe spear. It made one more mighty charge, after demolishing several spear handles, and was pierced below the neck and fell dead. The beast was skinned and the skin retained by the headman of the hamlet as a trophy of the event.