360 A RUSE FOR HILL- PANTHERS. 



suffered from their depredations. The first two were a pair, and were the 

 true leopards or JeerJeals of Mysore, having all the characteristics given by 

 Elliot, and quoted by Dr Jerdon in his Mammals. The measurements of 

 the animals from nose to tip of tail were : Panther (female), 6 feet 1 

 inches. Leopards — male, 5 feet 4 inches — female, 5 feet 2 inches; both 

 full grown. 



The Government reward in Mysore for killing a panther or leopard is 

 25 rupees. I gave 40 rupees of the amount due for the three to Subba, 

 who had taken great trouble in their pursuit. As a native can live well on 

 5 rupees a-month, this would suffice to make him happy for some time, 

 especially in the matter of drink, to which he was much devoted. The 

 remaining 35 rupees gave the beaters great satisfaction. 



I have before mentioned the panther and leopard's habit of living 

 in rocky hills near villages, and of preying upon domestic animals. Such 

 depredators keep chiefly to deep and intricate caves, from which they can- 

 not be dislodged even with fireworks; and almost the only plan of getting a 

 shot at them is to watch, either before or after nightfall, over a live goat 

 tied as a bait. Some cunning panthers, however, will not approach such a 

 lure, as their suspicions are at once aroused by the sight of a solitary goat 

 stationed near their retreats. With such sly animals I have found the most 

 effective plan to be, to hide early in the afternoon amongst the rocks at the 

 foot of the hill on the side where the panther will most probably be on the 

 look-out about sunset, and, having an accomplice in the goat-herd, to have a 

 goat quickly tethered and left behind as the flocks are driven villagewards 

 in the evening. The sight of this apparent straggler, which bleats loudly 

 for its fellows, will often deceive the most wary panther or leopard. It 

 descends from its elevated post of observation with marvellous rapidity, and 

 if the sportsman has chosen his post well, so that he may neither be seen 

 nor winded by the animal, he will have a fair chance at it when it is seiz- 

 ing the goat. 



I remember an absurd occurrence in connection with these hill -pan- 

 thers. A pair was said to frequent an isolated pile of rocks in open coun- 

 try, so I proceeded one morning with some villagers of the neighbourhood 

 to inspect their retreat with a view to devising plans against them. We 

 separated amongst the rocks to look for recent marks. One villager accom- 

 panied me. Seeing an entrance to a likely-looking cave under a shelving 

 sheet of rock, I stooped down and peered in, when I immediately heard a 

 low, tremulous sound in the deep recesses which I took to be the growl of 

 the objects of our search. I drew back, and the sound ceased. I was under 

 no apprehension, as my experience of panthers and leopards is that they 



