Game Animals of India, etc. 



Persia, Russian Turkestan, Transcaspia, and so on 

 through Syria and Palestine to Africa, where it ranges 

 as far south as the Cape. According to Dr. Satunin, 

 it is not found in the Caucasus. Further observations 

 are required as to the southern limits of the range of 

 the hunting-leopard in India. 



Although much has been written with regard to the 

 training and employment of the hunting-leopard for the 

 purpose of capturing blackbuck and other animals by 

 the natives of India, little has been said about the 

 creature in its wild state ; and since this has been 

 repeated over and over again in works of natural 

 history, a short notice will be sufficient in this place. 

 The favourite haunts of the Indian hunting-leopard are 

 low, isolated, rocky hills, whence it can obtain an unre- 

 stricted view of the surrounding plains, and mature its 

 plans for stalking the blackbuck, gazelles, deer, and 

 other animals which form its prey. These felines 

 hunt in couples, and creep up to within a certain dis- 

 tance of their intended victims, when they make a 

 sudden rush at a terrific pace, which, whether successful 

 or otherwise, is the final effort, the pursuit being aban- 

 doned if the quarry is not overtaken during the first 

 spurt. Occasionally, instead of a single pair, it is said 

 that a whole family will join in the stalk and subsequent 

 rush. After a successful foray the hunting-leopard in- 

 dulges in such a gorge that it generally requires two or 

 three days' repose and quiet before again taking the 

 field. Before each chase these animals repair to some 

 favourite tree, upon the bark of which they sharpen and 

 clean their claws. The cubs are carefully trained by 

 their parents in stalking and taking their prey ; and so 

 essential is this parental instruction that, according to 

 native reports, cubs that have not been thus taught are 

 of no use for hunting. Consequently the trained in- 

 dividuals kept by the chiefs for the latter purpose 

 are captured when full - grown. The method of 

 hunting with these tame animals has been so often 



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