Capturing Tigers Alive.

Mount Ida Chronicle, 22 June 1900, Page 3

Capturing Tigers Alive.

Some curious and thrilling details of his former occupation, says a writer , In "Chums," were recently narrated by a gentleman employed to capture wild beasts alive for. a well-known circus; Ho thus describes a tiger-hunt. in Sin- ; gaipore :—After finding the stream to which tho tiger must go for water each • night on awakening from his all-day ■ sleep, we set aibout making our prepara- « lions. In the direct path of the tiger we dug a pit 7ft. wide, 10ft. long, and 35ft. detip, but much longer and wider at the bottom than at the top. All the dirt dug was carefully removed to a considerable distance by the natives,, A lot of bamboo strips were next laid over the pit, covered with dry leaves, < and made to appear like the general surroundings. We next took three bamboo sticks about 12ft. in length, and placed them in the form of a tripod, in such a position as to' bring the poinr of the tripod directly above the centre of the pit. From the 'top some of. the"' natives suspended a goat toy a "cord wliich was barely strong enough to ' - bear its weight, and sure to break if the tiger leapt upon the goat. Everything being in readiness, Mr. and myself, as well as the natives. , repaired to a hut a short distance off and awaited developments. I w&is beginning to think that we were going, to 'be disappointed, when one of the natives rushed Into the hut, crying, " Lend a torch !" The furious cries of the tiger had startled him, as with a terrific roar it sprang upon the suspended goat, and sank with its burden into the pit prepared for it.

Lighting a number of torches, rboth to see the way and to forestall any attack that might possibly' be made upon us from wild animals, we proceeded in a body to the pit. The roars of the tiger • were awful, as he furiously tried to leap upward to sain Ms freedom. This frantic behaviour was kept up for about ah hour, when, entirely exhausted, he lay perfectly quiet at the bottom of the ipit. Two of the natives now lowered •a bamboo Ibasket, letting 'the open side fall directly over the tiger. Immediately after this a number of natives juwiiped Into the pit, and began 'pushing' rattan withies through the sand foeneath the tiger, and bringing them round the basket. In this manner the tiger was in a few minutes completely enclosed. Returning to the, hut, we awaited tha dawn, and, as soon as it appeared, the natives went foack to the pit, and lifted the basket containing the tiger but of it. We detailed ten of the coolies to take our captive to the city. Before they started I took a look a't our prize" through the rattans. He was a magnificent specimen, 'but the sorriest-looking tiger I ever saw. being covered with blood from his frantic efforts to get out of the pit, while the skin was peeled from his nose and face, and the eyea were almost entirely closed by the swollen face.