Nine Maneaters And One Rogue
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Nine Maneaters And One Rogue is the first book of jungle tales and man-eaters written by Kenneth Anderson, first published in 1954 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd.
Dedication[edit]
"To the memory of the jungle of the Southern India, their birds and animals, particularly elephant, tiger and panther, and their forest-people, Chensoos, Sholagas, Karumbas and Poojarees, I proudly and gratefully dedicate this book, in return for the twenty-five years of unadulterated joy they have given me in making and keeping their acquaintance".[1]
Contents[edit]
Introduction
Anderson discusses the causes of man-eating in tigers and panthers, as well as possible causes of an elephant becoming rogue.
The Maneater of Jowlagiri
A tigress turns man-eater after being wounded by a poacher in the Jowlagiri area. After the death toll reaches around fifteen, Anderson is contacted to track down the beast. Anderson has an agonizing wait sat over a human kill, followed by a lucky escape when the man-eater starts to stalk him. The man-eater is not heard of again for another five months, and when a fresh human kill is reported Anderson heads back to Jowlagiri - where he manages to lure the tigress to her death by imitating a tiger's mating call.
The Spotted Devil of Gummlapur
Over an area of some 250 square miles (650 km2), a man-eating leopard is responsible for some 42 human deaths. When Anderson arrives to dispatch the animal, villagers are reluctant to assist as they believed the 'shaitan' would hear of it and hasten their death. Anderson spends his nights waiting up for the panther, first using himself as bait and then changing tact and using a dummy. On one such night he comes across a stray dog, which he keeps with him for company in his hut. The dog ends up saving his life by signalling when the panther finally arrives at Anderson's hut - in repayment Anderson takes the dog home and names him 'Nipper'.
The Striped Terror of Chamala Valley
In 1937 a tiger is responsible for the death of seven people in the space of six months. Anderson locates the tiger by tying out baits, and though not fully equipped he decides to sit up over a kill and await the tigers return. Successfully killing the tiger, the locals help to carry it back to the village, though Anderson begins to doubt if in fact this is the correct tiger. Days later a report reaches him of a further tiger attack in the region, Anderson arrives on the scene and tracks the trail of the tiger up a dry stream bed... this time he has found the right tiger.
The Hosdurga-Holalkere Man-eater
Anderson recounts the cat and mouse game that ensued in the hunt for the Hosdurga-Holalkere man-eating tiger along with his friend Mac. Whilst sitting over human remains atop a large cluster of boulders, Anderson sits with his back to a sheer drop of 12 foot and as such believes himself safe from an attack from the rear - but unexpectedly that is where the man-eater decides to attack.
The Rogue Elephant of Panapatti
An elephant with one whole tusk and one half tusk turns rogue in the Panapatti area and is responsible for multiple human deaths. Anderson first encounters the elephant when out trying to bag a peacock - armed only with a shotgun. Anderson escapes unscathed, though the elephant goes on to attack a camp of people - causing the government to double its reward for the animal. Anderson spends four laborious days tracking the elephant through the jungle, finally coming across a lone elephant - but is unsure if it is the right animal until it turns to face him...
The Maneater of Segur
After first recounting a story of a pack of wild dogs taking on a tigress in the Nilgiri Hills, Anderson goes on to detail his hunt for the man-eating tiger of the same region. After a run in with a sloth bear family, and two failed vigils over two different human kills, Anderson comes across the one-eyed tiger by chance when a sambar deer sounds its warning.
The Maneater of Yemmaydoddi
Early in 1946 a small male tiger appeared in the Yemmaydoddi locality and started lifting local cattle. In 1948 after breaking down in Tiptur, Anderson and his friend Alfie finally arrive in Birur to find they are given the choice of shooting either a cattle lifting panther or a cattle lifting tiger. Unfortunately they opt for the panther, as after they leave the region the cattle lifting tiger is wounded badly in the lower jaw by a local villager protecting his cattle and turns man-eater. Anderson returns to the region and months go by of monotonous nights of waiting, until finally Anderson gets a shot at the tiger. Only managing to wound the animal, he returns the next day to track the tiger with the help of a herd of buffalo.
The Killer of Jalahalli
During a rabbit beat in the Jalahalli region, a leopard (previously wounded by a policeman) caught between the nets and the beaters with dogs, succeeds in mauling six people in order to escape. Locals persist in trying to bring the leopard to bag, but the leopard is a fighter and survives their assaults - in the progress managing to maul a total of 11 people and kill 3. Anderson arrives in the area and the leopard again manages to escape the attempt on his life, obtaining more wounds in the progress. The next day Anderson follows circling vultures to the body of the leopard which had painfully succumbed to its many wounds.
The Hermit of Devarayandurga
A local tigress is nicknamed 'the hermit' due to its shabby appearance and choice of abode. Not a recorded man-eater, it reportedly was very aggressive towards humans, and killed two men and one woman. After spending some very cold all night vigils sat over baits, Anderson gets a shot at the tigress. Badly wounding the animal, he has a tense morning following its distinctive blood trail until he puts an end to 'the hermit'.
Byra the Poojaree
Anderson recounts how a chance meeting with a poacher, turns into a close friendship of over 25 years and who appears in many of his hunting stories. Anderson shares some such tales about Byra, including a vicious bear attack and Byra's part in hunting a man-eater in the Muthur area.
The Tigers of Tagarthy
Anderson found the village of Tagarthy to have no less than 4 tigers operating in the area, and on one single day - eight cattle kills were reported to have been made by tigers. Anderson recounts his own close encounters with the tigers of the region, including the story of how local man Sham Rao Bapat comes to shoot one of these tigers in his garden, and Anderson's own hunt for the hostile, cattle lifting tiger of Goowja.
References[edit]
- ↑ Anderson, Kenneth (1954). Nine Man Eaters and One Rogue. George Allen & Unwin. p. 8. Search this book on
External links[edit]
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