BRAVE MAHOUT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 14, 17 January 1940, Page 3

BRAVE MAHOUT.

HOLDS THE 0.8. E. SAVED PLANTER'S LIFE. ATTACKED BY TIGRESS. LONDON December 15. Because of his bravery in saving the lives of a tea planter and another companion when they were trapped by a wounded tigress, Aihman Sing Dhanwar, a mahout, or elephant driver, in the service of the Bengal Forest Department, has become the holder of the 0.8. E. Here is the story of Aihman Sing's courage, as recorded in the "London Gazette":— "The King has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the Medal of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent ! Order of the British Empire for meri- ! torious service to Aihman Sing Dhan- ! war, Mahout, Forest Department, I Jaupaiguri, Kajshahi Division, Bengal. i "Aihman Sing assisted Mr. A. V. j Pullan, manager of Kartick tea estate, ! to follow up a tigress that had been I wounded, and had mauled one of the j coolies on Turturi tea estate. j "The tigress, which was lying up in | dense jungle, leapt out unexpectedly at close quarters, and put to flight the elephant on which Mr. Pullan was riding. Tea Planter Mauled. "In the course of its flight, the elephant stumbled and threw off her mahout and Mr. Pullan, who was seized badly mauled by the tigress. The second elephant, driven by Aihman Sing, also took fright and bolted. "Aihman Sing pulled her up in a short distance and brought her back towards j the scene of the accident. He was I unable to bring her right up to Mr. I Pullan. By a great effort, the latter, ! although suffering from a fractured leg I and arm and other injuries, managed ttf | crawl towards Aihman Sing, who seated | his elephant and hauled him on to the j pad, and thus got him away to safety. "The tigress meanwhile attempted to get at the other mahout, who had climbed a small tree: Having delivered Mr. Pullan to safety, Aihman Sing returned to the scene and rescued the other mahout by running, his elephant under the tree and so enabling him to leap on to the pad. "Aihman Sing Dhanwar undoubtedly saved the life of Mr. Pullan, and possibly also that of the other mahout."