HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



The method of attack is not, as is generally and popu- 

 larly imagined, for the bear to come to close quarters and 

 then rise up for a hug, but, on the contrary, the animal rushes 

 right in and sweeps a man off his legs by fearful round-arm 

 blows of its strong fore-legs, which it can use to strike with 

 almost as well as a man can use his arms ; or it hurls itself 

 on a man, legs and teeth all in use at once. If it gets a 

 man down, its most common proceeding is then to administer 

 one or two fearful bites to his head or face, and then bolt 

 away with roars and yells, apparently panic-stricken at its 

 own boldness. Occasionally it does stand up and strike at 

 a man ; but this probably occurs when the first attack has 

 failed to knock him down. Given presence of mind and a 

 good stick, and I believe a man would be safe from any 

 attacking bear, as the least touch on its sensitive nose would 

 give it " fits " and take all the fight out of it. 



This is their one touchy point, and their first instinct is 

 to protect it. You can easily find that out by experiment- 

 ing with a tame bear if you get a chance. 



Give it a tap on the nose and it will instantly bury it 

 in its breast, and even protect it with its fore-paws, soon 

 becoming as skilled in dodging a blow as any pugilist. 



Natives during the dry season will never traverse a 

 jungle path alone or unarmed on account of these animals, 

 which I think they fear more than any other animal in the 

 jungle except perhaps elephants. 



In the wet season, or when much fruit is falling (the 

 damba falls in October and November), the sportsman in 

 the low country will occasionally be lucky enough to meet 

 a bear on the prowl in forest or park in broad daylight, or, 

 if he be in hinna country, it will pay him to visit the rocks 

 in the morning to see if a bear or bears are " at home." In 

 the dry season, however, the only chance of a bear is at a 



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