HOW TIGERS BECOME MANEATERS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 213, 8 September 1891, Page 4

HOW TIGERS BECOME MANEATERS.

On May 13th, at the village of Hebool, in .. the Ankola subdivision of ' the district of . Kanara, a lai'ge tiger was killed under the following strange and tragic circum- - 'stances, , says a correspondent of the Times of India. Shortly after , gunset a woman of the cultivating class -. ?ma& gathering fallen fruit under a Bmall r:;clump of mango trees on the edge of a - rieefield not more than 100 paces from ■■"'.-; her dwelling. Suddenly from a shallow • ;■ dry ditch whioh ran cloae by the spot, a ■r^t tiger, which, had apparently stalked the W? s %po&&% under its cover, sprang on her, i^sejzed her by the back of the neok, and to the ground. Her shrieks of |#?a^ny'bt6nght out a neighbour whose |^;|i9iiie!;wa^ not more.than 50, paees 1 away, S^^^' Vtp tlien'ißaw the tiger/ standing oa i^^j^gli groiwd aboY^ the ditch at gome

little distance from tke body of hia victim. There the animal seema to have remained until the arrival of the patel and a Mahomedan with a loaded gun. They had heard the outcry of the eyewitness from where they were Bitting in the pabel's house, not less than a quarter of a mile distant. The Mahomedan, with commendable promtitude, coolness, and pluck, Buceeeded in stealing near enough to the tiger to kill him in one shot. An examination of the corpse Bhowed no other marks of injury save those caused by the teeth of tke tiger. He had lingered neither to drink the blood nor to taste the flesh. For some tima past he had been freely slaughtering cattle in the neighbourhood, but had never attacked a human being, and was appearantly unwounded and in good health, May it not, then, be fairly submised, asks a correspondent, that in the uncertain light owing to the dark dress and stooping posture of the unfortunate woman, the tiger mistook her for a quadruped; and was himself taken back and alarmed at his own act 1 That he would soon have recovered himself and. have returned to his meal had he been undisturbed there can be little doubt.