THE HUNTING CHEETAH 



animal is extremely rare in Mysore. Sanderson 

 never saw one there, and I encountered it upon 

 only one occasion, viz., in August, 1882, when out 

 shooting in the Berrambadie forest of the Mysore 

 district ; and this was a wonderful piece of luck 

 to fall to the lot of a beginner. Unfortunately my 

 capacity for shooting straight was less in those 

 days than it afterwards became, and I failed to 

 take full advantage of my opportunity. 



I had gone out bison shooting after a very wet 

 night, and was walking with my men through the 

 jungle, when, in an open glade of high forest, I 

 suddenly saw five cat-like creatures sitting up 

 together and looking at us. I at first guessed 

 them to be panthers, and lost no time in firing at, 

 and then running after, them. Although I fired 

 several shots at them, I bagged only one, and I 

 never had another chance at a hunting cheetah. 

 I noticed particularly the peculiar way in which 

 they carried their long tails, the tips of which 

 curved upwards. The slight mane, too, was con- 

 spicuous, and the animals looked more like small 

 lionesses than panthers when in full view. The 

 cheetah bagged was a young male measuring be- 

 tween uprights 5 feet 6 inches in length. 



The vernacular names for this animal are 



H industani Chita. 

 Bengali Kendua-bagh. 

 Telegu Chita-puli. 

 Canarese Chircha, Sivungi. 







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