The Teacher who killed 42 man-eating Leopards

[thakur]

Interesting article in Mail Today dated 7-Aug-13 Delhi edition.

[Kumarnishith]

Nice find Mr. Thakur...Seems like Modern day Jim Corbett to me..operating in same area.. Any idea what rifle he is using? Also, what's the process of acquiring government permit to kill rogue elephants, man eaters etc... Prior hunting experience?? This man seems quite young (49yrs)!! It's less likely that he had ever hunted before his first kill..I am sure experienced members like Prashant jee must be having an idea about the permit procedure/prerequisite etc...It would be great if he could share the details...


-Nishith

[Vikram]

This has been discussed before. While I do not want to belittle his commitment and service, a lot of his methods are questioned. For example, indiscriminate shooting of any leopard found in that area without determining whether it was a maneater or not. I would like to know more about his methods in establishing the identity of a maneater before he shoots it. He uses an IOF .315.

Best-
Vikram

[Kumarnishith]

This has been discussed before. While I do not want to belittle his commitment and service, a lot of his methods are questioned. For example, indiscriminate shooting of any leopard found in that area without determining whether it was a maneater or not. I would like to know more about his methods in establishing the identity of a maneater before he shoots it. He uses an IOF .315.

Best-
Vikram

That's sad I never knew that Jim Corbett was more of a conservationist...Indiscriminate killing is bad...very bad..anyways humans are not natural prey of leopards/tigers...most of the time it happens due to loss of habitat/prey because of encroachment into forests etc...again a man made problem!!

-Nishith

[Safarigent]

No plans of gracing the skeet fields with your beretta thakur??

[TwoRivers]

Vikram, while I share your sentiment, how exactly do you determine that before shooting the leopard ? Stake out a little girl in a strong cage and see if a leopard comes ?

[prashantsingh]

[quote=] how exactly do you determine that before shooting the leopard?[/quote]

True.
Here is an example of what Vikram is trying to say.

That looks like a cub to me rather than a "maneater".

Last winter our man shot two within a week in Dist. Almora........
Interestingly the human killings continued.With all the "experience" one would expect him to do better.
42 is an old figure. He must have shot more than 45 by now.In just over a decade.
Looks like he out to make some record.

[Vikram]

Vikram, while I share your sentiment, how exactly do you determine that before shooting the leopard ? Stake out a little girl in a strong cage and see if a leopard comes ?

Fair question actually. From all I read, experts can read for sex,size, age etc and differentiate pug marks of predators like tigers and leopards. One would at least expect this man to do some scouting and establish the primary fact that the offending beast is within the area. What he has been doing is, from what I gathered from reports, shoot any leopard that shows up where he is waiting. I am surprised that no one making an attempt to at least review his methods and results.

Prashant,

That is a disturbing photo. Hardly an adult leopard. More like a juvenile or cub.

Best-
Vikram

[timmy]

Vikram, while I share your sentiment, how exactly do you determine that before shooting the leopard ? Stake out a little girl in a strong cage and see if a leopard comes ?

Fair question actually. From all I read, experts can read for sex,size, age etc and differentiate pug marks of predators like tigers and leopards. One would at least expect this man to do some scouting and establish the primary fact that the offending beast is within the area. What he has been doing is, from what I gathered from reports, shoot any leopard that shows up where he is waiting. I am surprised that no one making an attempt to at least review his methods and results.

Prashant,

That is a disturbing photo. Hardly an adult leopard. More like a juvenile or cub.

Best-
Vikram

Yes, what I've read matches your understanding, Vikram. Distinguishing pug marks comes to mind from accounts in particular, and from the encounters with the man eater, like near misses and such, it seems that the offending animal is sometimes known and can be described. For example, in that famous account by our own Prashantji, I recall that cat was missing a couple of claws due to his escape. Such an animal could be identified, perhaps not in every instance, but in some.

[TwoRivers]

Provided there are pug marks to be found, and traced to that particular animal. Not as easy as it may sound, me thinks. Without missing toes.

While the leopard in Prashant's post does look like a fairly young one, that does not assure he is not a maneater. A leopard does not have to be old with worn down teeth to be a maneater. A young and inexperienced one also has difficulty catching prey, and likely has not yet become as wary of humans.

[miroflex]

The article states that he relies on pug marks to track man eaters. Also that it took him eight months to bring down the first man eater he hunted. Not exactly a trigger happy guy.

Regards.

[hks2056]

Fair question actually. From all I read, experts can read for sex,size, age etc and differentiate pug marks of predators like tigers and leopards. One would at least expect this man to do some scouting and establish the primary fact that the offending beast is within the area. What he has been doing is, from what I gathered from reports, shoot any leopard that shows up where he is waiting. I am surprised that no one making an attempt to at least review his methods and results.

Prashant,

That is a disturbing photo. Hardly an adult leopard. More like a juvenile or cub.

Best-
Vikram
It ain’t over ’til it’s over! "Rocky,Rocky,Rocky....."
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Vikram

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It is very easy to sit in judgment over the achievement of others particularly when we try to run down others. After reading the posts in this thread I am very curious to know how many maneaters have been killed by any one of us who had made the observations.I invite any such member who claims to have killed a maneater or tried to kill one to come up with his methodology adopted for the purpose so that I can be enlightened.I hope that text from Jim Corbett, Kenneth Anderson, Col. Kesri Singh and other miscellaneous Raj Era hunters will not be quoted.The accomplished school teacher under reference is first choice of the state government in Tehri, Pauri and Garhwal when it invites hunters to eliminate a proclaimed maneater. I remember seeing a one hour serial on him in National Geographic Channel four years ago. Panthers in the hills are generally smaller in size in comparison to the ones found in the plains. Maneater is a maneater irrespective of its size.

[Vikram]

HKS2056,


I can understand your displeasure at what is seen as belittling what is a phenomenal achievement by an individual. I never hunted a man-eater or any other animal eating leopards or tigers. I would like to see a link to that programme you mentioned by National Geographic. I made it clear that I do not wish to belittle his achievement. But, the questions I posed remain and I would really like to know more about his methods of establishing the identity of a man-eater.For one region as the one he operates in, do you not think that it is unusual to have more than 40 man-eating leopards? I would be happy to be proven wrong.

Best-
Vikram

[prashantsingh]

Isn't it interesting to know that Jim Corbett (with all his skills) could ONLY manage to shoot
33 MANEATERS
(including tigers and leopards)
in his ENTIRE LIFETIME.

while Mr Rawat has already shot more than 45 in record time (just over a decade).

What is even more interesting is that Jim managed to do it at a time (almost a century ago) when there were an estimated 40000 tigers in the country and many more leopards.

[TwoRivers]

And a lot fewer humans to eat, but more game.