Destruction of life in India by wild animals / J. Fayrer.

  • Joseph Fayrer
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Destruction of life in India by wild animals / J. Fayrer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/17 page 254
    From the present reports it appears that the Government of Madras has decided that the employment of a paid corps of Shikaris is undesirable, as the cost of supervision would be excessive, while the employment of such a corps would discourage local Shikaris. On this point the Governor-Genera] in Council desires to remark that where j local Shikaris exist it is very desirable that every en- j couragement should be held out to them, and that in such cases it is preferable to trust to fixed, certain, and prompt payments according to results, as the most effective way of inducing the Shikaris to devote themselves to the work. At the same time certain tracts of country exist in which the special and temporary employment of men from outside may be very useful and expedient, and the reports show that the adoption of this plan has in some cases been followed by satisfactory results. For instance, in the Futehpore district, in the North-Western Provinces, the entertainment of a body of special Shikaris resulted in the destruction of a considerable number of wolves with which that district was infested. In Dinapore, in the Lower Provinces, also, professional hunters were engaged during the dosing month of the year for the destruction of tigers. u In the Central Provinces the ravages committed by tigers in the Balaghat and Seoni districts necessitated the offer of enhanced rewards for their destruction, and the district officer of Seoni has endeavoured to organise a special expedition of shikaris for the purpose of hunting down the animals, and has provided the shikaris with ammunition. Licenses under the Arms Act appear to have been more freely given than hitherto to persons who require arms for protecting themselves and their cattle and crops from the attack of wild animals, but the Governor-General in Council desires to take the oppor- tunity of expressing a hope that this matter will be care- fully kept in view by Local Governments and Administra- tions in order that every possible facility may be offered to cultivators and others for obtaining such licences in districts in which wild beasts are more than usually abundant.” Wild Animals destructive to Life in India Carnivora Felidce Felis—F. leo Lion F. tigris F. pardus F. jubata Tiger Leopard Hunting Leopard Hyczninoe Hyaena—H. striata Striped Hyaena Canidce Canis—C. pallipes C. aureus Wolf Jackal Ursidce Ursus—U. isabellinus U. tibetanus U. labiatus Brown Bear Black Bear Sloth Bear.
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