Tiger of Mundachipallam
Encyclopedia
The Tiger of Mundachipallam was a male man-eating
Bengal tiger
which killed 7 people in the vicinity of the village of Pennagram, four miles from the Hogenakkal Falls.
river, the third a mile from the village of Ootaimalai.
was contacted by his shikari
, Ranga, at Bangalore
, but was unable to go right away due to prior engagements. After two more killings, Anderson arrived at Ootaimalai and was assisted in his hunt by Ranga and three other men; Byra, Sowree and Lucas. The three latter men, armed with a .12 bore gun, volunteered to scout around the neighbouring forest and along the Combaitore bank. Ranga acquired three baits, the first of which was tied a mile up the Chinar river from where it joined to the Cauvery, the second three miles further, where Mundachipallam met the Chinar. The third bait was tethered 100 yards from the site of the first killing. This proved unsuccessful, as after five days, the tiger left the baits untouched and claimed another human victim. The victim was a man, killed 100 yards from his hut and dragged to the banks of the Chinar where he was eaten.
for the tiger, which quickly left the area upon being hit by torchlight. The tiger eventually came, but was disturbed by the sound of Anderson’s rifle knocking against the bamboo surrounding the blind. The tiger moved behind the blind, though could not attack, due to the lack of an opening. Eventually, the tiger left.
named Kush-Kush-Kariya belonging to Sowree, resumed the hunt by checking on the three baits. Ranga, while being accompanied to the second bait by a villager, encountered the tiger on the way. The two men narrowly escaped with their lives by climbing a tree. A group of villagers, upon hearing the commotion, rushed to Ootaimalai where Anderson was staying. Anderson arrived, the tiger having been driven off and the two men being left unscathed.
Man-eater
Man-eater is a colloquial term for an animal that preys upon humans. This does not include scavenging. Although human beings can be attacked by many kinds of animals, man-eaters are those that have incorporated human flesh into their usual diet...
Bengal tiger
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
which killed 7 people in the vicinity of the village of Pennagram, four miles from the Hogenakkal Falls.
First attacks
Its first victim was a fisherman who disturbed the tiger whilst it was mating in the jungle near the banks of the Mundachipallam river. The tiger instantly killed the man, though it did not eat him. A few weeks later, the same tiger killed a woodcutter and as before, did not eat the victim. Two months later, the tiger killed a woman gathering fruit. She was the first victim to be eaten. The tiger killed three more victims in quick succession, one by the 7th milestone of Ghat Road, the second by the banks of the ChinarChinar
Chinar may refer to:*Platanus orientalis*Chinar, alternative spelling of Çinar, Azerbaijan, a village in Azerbaijan*Chinar, Russia, a rural locality in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia*Chinar, alternative spelling of Chinor, a town in Tajikistan...
river, the third a mile from the village of Ootaimalai.
First hunt for the tiger
Kenneth AndersonKenneth Anderson (writer)
Kenneth Anderson was an Indian writer and hunter who wrote many books about his adventures in the jungles of South India.- Background :...
was contacted by his shikari
Shikari
A Shikari is a big game hunter, especially in India, a native hunter who serves as a guide. The word is derived from Persian Shikar + Persian suffix i...
, Ranga, at Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, but was unable to go right away due to prior engagements. After two more killings, Anderson arrived at Ootaimalai and was assisted in his hunt by Ranga and three other men; Byra, Sowree and Lucas. The three latter men, armed with a .12 bore gun, volunteered to scout around the neighbouring forest and along the Combaitore bank. Ranga acquired three baits, the first of which was tied a mile up the Chinar river from where it joined to the Cauvery, the second three miles further, where Mundachipallam met the Chinar. The third bait was tethered 100 yards from the site of the first killing. This proved unsuccessful, as after five days, the tiger left the baits untouched and claimed another human victim. The victim was a man, killed 100 yards from his hut and dragged to the banks of the Chinar where he was eaten.
Second hunt for the tiger
Anderson ordered the building of a blind near the site of the kill, where he hoped the tiger would return to finish its meal. Anderson waited in the blind throughout the night, at one point mistaking a striped hyenaStriped Hyena
The Striped Hyena is a species of true hyena native to North and East Africa, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Middle and Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent...
for the tiger, which quickly left the area upon being hit by torchlight. The tiger eventually came, but was disturbed by the sound of Anderson’s rifle knocking against the bamboo surrounding the blind. The tiger moved behind the blind, though could not attack, due to the lack of an opening. Eventually, the tiger left.
Third hunt for the tiger
The four men, now aided by a pariah dogPariah dog
The term pariah dog originally referred to Chinese/Indian feral dogs of a particular type, but it is now used by the United Kennel Club to refer to a purebred dog category.- Feral dogs of India :...
named Kush-Kush-Kariya belonging to Sowree, resumed the hunt by checking on the three baits. Ranga, while being accompanied to the second bait by a villager, encountered the tiger on the way. The two men narrowly escaped with their lives by climbing a tree. A group of villagers, upon hearing the commotion, rushed to Ootaimalai where Anderson was staying. Anderson arrived, the tiger having been driven off and the two men being left unscathed.