CAPTURING A TIGER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10105, 17 March 1911, Page 2

CAPTURING A TIGER.

The interest of a community in the Malay Peninsula was excitet} by the announcement that a fine tiger liad been captured in a pit situated in a, Chinaman's garden (says a writer in "Harper's Magazine"). The pit was circular, eleven feet deep, and three feet in diameter, contracting slightly at the bottom. Tho situation .vas on the margin of a jungle forest, and the pit had. been dug tor the purpose of capturing wild pigs. These pits were covered with thin sticks and glass oil leaves. . ~ As soon as the owner of the pit \\ as aware of his prize, he • covered the mouth with strong planks, and looked around for a purchaser. The sum oi £25 was paid for the tiger as it lay, and it afterwards cost £SO to have nim caged and conveyed to Singapore. Jcoi nearly six days the captive lay m the pit, his captor feeding him very sparingly in order to reduce his eneigy. The operation of caging was entrusted to six Malays, who, as a race, are noted for their knowledge of woodcraft and habite of animals. The first step was to rig up a strong beam at a height of about nine feet over the pit, and this was supported on well-secured uprights, to which it was securely laslied with withes. _ !Next, there were prepared two cylindrical baskets made of green rattan. One of thoso baskets measured two feet in diameter and eight feet in length. Ihe other was made just large enough to be passed into the larger one, for the purpose of giving additional strength to the contrivance. One end of each basket was left open, while tho other was closed, with the exception of a bole about three inches in diameter, the use of which will presently appear. The smaller basket having been jammed into the. larger, tho walls of both, wore firmly laced together throughout to obviate any chance of slipping. Finally, two new hemp ropes, about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, were prepared with running nooses. As soon as a few long poles had been cut, with forks on some of them and pieces of wood lashed on others to form hooks, the Malays were readv.

The planks covering the mouth of the pit were slightly separated to admit of the ropes and poles being passed down. The noose of one of the ropes was lowered upon the tiger's hc«d, an intrusion which he resisted violently, but by skill and patience the Malays managed to get the noose over the tiger's head and around his neck. As soon as the noose was in position it was drawn tight enough to prevent its removal by the prisoner. The other rope then passed down and secured in a similar manner. The operation of placing the two nooses around tbo neok of the boast occupied twenty-three minutes. The ends of the rope were then passed through the cylindrical double basket. The basket was placed mouth downwards over the pit, and when all ".viia Secure and ready the word was given to 'haul up, and the tiger was drawn up head foremost Into the basket, which was only large enough to receive him, and thus he was unable to struggle with effectiveness. As soon as he- was well into the basket it was drawn up and laid on its side, when the mouth" was laced up, leaving nothing but the tiger's tail protruding. When all was fast, the nooses around his throat were slackened, in order that the beast might breathe more freely. The. basket was now slung on a pole and borne tn where a cage was in readiness to receive its occupant.