499 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



No. I— TIGERS HAMSTRINGING THEIR PREY BEFORE KILLING. 



I have noticed a peculiarity in the "way tigers in Burma kill their prey. On 

 several occasions I have come across animals such as sambar, sine and gaur f 

 also tame buffaloes that have been killed by tigers, and the method adopted 

 seems to be to stalk the animal and suddenly bite one of the hind legs just 

 above the hock, severing the tendon and breaking the bone, possibly in one bite. 

 After this the tiger seems to follow the animal persistently, waiting for 

 another chance, wh^n it attacks the other leg and breaks it in the same way. 

 Once both the hind legs are hamstrung and broken, the animal is helpless, 

 when the tiger kills it easily, jumping on its back and biting the throat. 



In March 1901, I found a tame buffalo in the Pegu river that had been 

 killed by a tiger. The spot where the buflalo (a full-grown cow) died, was 

 quite three miles from where it had been first attacked and one hind leg was 

 broken. The Karen to whom the buffalo belonged showed me the spot where 

 it had first been attacked. This was in some Kaing grass in the Pegu river. 

 There were some ten buffaloes in the herd, and when the tiger attacked the 

 one it eventually lulled, the herd stamp* ded down the river, the wounded one 

 following. The tiger followed the buffaloes for about two miles before it was 

 able to get in another bite, when it broke the second hind leg. Even then 

 the buffalo seems to have hobbled along after the herd for quite another mile 

 before the herd left it and returned to the Karen Te. The Karens, finding that 

 one buffalo was missing, went up the river to look for it, and found it just 

 below the mouth of the Kadat stream. When found the buffalo was still alive 

 with both its hind legs broken, and a part of one of the hind quarters eaten. 

 The Karens returned to their Te intending to come next day to cut up the 

 buffalo and eat it ; and although I was encamped at their Te, ihey would not 

 tell me about it for fear I should want to sit up over the kill and should not 

 let them eat it. About 2 o'clock in the afternoon I wanted some Karens to do 

 some work for me, and finding that no one turned up I asked the reason for it, 

 when I was told that nearly every one in the Te, men, women and children, 

 had gone out to cut up a buffalo killed by a tiger. I asked the Ranger why 

 I was not told of the kill, and he gave the reason I have given above. I was 

 very angry and sent the Ranger off at once to tie up a machan over whatever 

 was left of the kill. I followed myself an hour or so later, and on the way 

 met the Karens returning laden with the flesh and bones of the buffalo. 

 The Ranger made them leave the head and gut. collected them in one place 

 in the bed of the river, and tied a machan in a tree on the opposite bank 

 to that on which the kill had been. 



When T got to the place, I found the machan ready, and as there was no 

 time to tie another machan I just sat up in the one prepared. I had been sitting 

 up for some time and it was beginning to get dark, when I saw the head of the 

 tiger looking over the bank of a nulla on the opposite side of the river and 



