296 READINGS IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE 



vicinity. If a tiger leaves a natural kill, the machan is put up nearby. If no 

 natural kill has been discovered, a bait is provided in the form of a live 

 domestic animal. In any case, when hunters climb into a machan they 

 must be prepared for a long and tedious wait. 



Alachans are designed to provide a maximum of safety for the hunter. 

 Tigers have been known to jump higher than fifteen feet, so the average 

 machan is around 20 feet above the ground. Tigers, in common with other 

 animals, seldom look up. They find nothing of interest in the skies and 

 treetops. If their attention is drawn to the machan by the slightest noise, 

 it is another story. 



When man meets tiger, or for that matter any wild animal, it is usually 

 man who takes the initiative. 



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