What Does It Take to Be Registered as a Shikari( Hunter) for Man Eating Tigers

India is the home of the tiger and this is one big cat that is native to the entire sub-continent from the Sunder bans (Famous for the Bengal Tiger), the Kumaon hills and Deep South in the thick forests of Siruvani and Topslip. The tiger is a protected species in India and hunting it is banned under the Wild Life Act. A prison term up to 7 years is specified in the act for killing a species termed as protected in the act. The law can be stringent as was learned by Film Actor Salman Khan, who was sentenced to a prison term of 5 years for shooting a black buck in the state of Rajasthan. The case is under appeal and pending hearing in the high court.

The big cats are loved by all and are a protected species, but unlike the deer’s and black bucks the Tiger in particular often turns into a man-eater. This could be for a variety of reasons like a tiger aging or getting injured. In such a scenario a tiger will find the human prey the easiest kill for his food. Once a tiger turns a man-eater, he is a ruthless beast. He is also very clever and will evade anybody sent to hunt him as well as look for single and lonely villagers on a trek to kill.

In such a situation when a tiger who has turned a man eater terrorises the villagers the forest officials in conjunction with the local magistrate will issue a license to hunt and kill the tiger. This is a professional job and a license to kill is given to kill a single tiger. A tiger tracker has also to be hired and all expenses are to be borne by the shikari( hunter)

In India tales of man-eating tigers abound and they have been immortalised by that great tiger hunter Jim Corbett in his ‘Man Eating Tiger of Rudraprayag’. There was also Kenneth Anderson who also shot man-eating tigers. There is an excellent Hollywood film on the subject “ Harry Black and the Tiger” with Stewart Granger and Indian actor IS Johar.

Many of the man-eaters terrorise the lonely villages and records indicate that some of them have killed hundreds of villagers. Jim Corbett mentions that one tigress which he shot dead had killed over 300 villagers. There are documented cases of tigers spiriting away children from the arms of their mother.

The Bengal Tiger

Generally, it is an accepted fact that the Bengal tiger is the most ferocious beast and also very cunning. Its habitat is the waterlogged Sunder bans delta of the Ganges and to top it this tiger species is also an excellent swimmer. There are many cases in the Sunderbans of tigers quietly following a boat and spiriting away one of the villagers, who go deep into the forest to collect Honey. In such cases, a tiger will slowly swim behind the boat and take the victim at an appropriate time.

Normally, a tiger will not attack a human being. Some tigers which become old or our injured are unable to hunt their normal prey and hence can turn man eaters. Tigers are very intelligent animals, and they will stalk human beings who have left their groups in the jungle and spirit them away. It requires great patience and skill to hunt such a beast.. When it is confirmed by the forest department that a mandating tiger is moving around among the villages, a license would be issued by the district magistrate to neutralise the tiger. This will be advertised in the national newspapers and many well known hunters can apply for the license. This is for a single tiger, and it is specified that no other tiger will be killed. I remember going for a hunt for a tiger in the Sundarbans along with the Maharaja of Burdwan. Hunting big cats is a costly sprt and only the rich and elite can afford it.

In such a situation the District magistrate will declare in the government gazette that a man-eater is around and invite Shikaris (hunters) to kill the beast. This is easier said than done as pursuing the tiger is a risky proposition. For this purpose, the DM will call for Shikaris who have already registered with him. The registration to be a shikari has some steps that must be followed.

Firstly you must have a licensed rifle of the appropriate bore. In India, there is a ban on civilians owning SLR rifles, but for hunting a license can be given. This will require verification which is a stringent proposition and the applicant must be able to convince the authorities and the police that he is adept at handling a heavy rifle like the Winchester. Licenses for such weapons are therefore restricted to military personnel or maharajahs who have owned guns for generations. I have been privileged to own a .315 SLR Winchester and am thus registered as a Shikari for hunting man-eaters.

Planning a Tiger Shoot

After the notification, the Shikari is to make his own plans to track the beast. This is a dangerous game as the Tiger senses that a hunter is approaching and will sink deeper into the forest. He will like to meet his adversary on his own home turf. He may also enter a cave and hide there. The hunter, in that case, has to enter and shoot the beast inside the cave. Once a notification is issued the Shikari will have to make his own arrangements as well indemnify the government in case a mishap takes place.

There is now a new line of thought emerging which is to tranquilize the tiger and take him to a zoo. So far no such case has borne fruit.