Page 128 - EL108 Learrning Module

The Death of a Man Eater

Tigers eat flesh of other animals in the forest. Generally, tigers do not kill
tigers. They like only the flesh of other animals. A tiger has to be very quick in

catching other animals. But an old tiger or a wounded tiger cannot run fast. At such
times it can only catch people. People cannot run as fast as animals. Therefore,

they became easy prey to tigers or other animals. After eating human flesh once,

a tiger will not get any other flesh. Such a tiger is called a man-eater.
Once a tiger in a jungle in Uttar Pradesh in India turned a man-eater. It had

killed women and men in the forest. These people had gone into the forest to
collect firewood, fruits, roots and other things. After such incidents people stopped

going into the forest.

Then the man-eater started to visit the nearby villages quite often. It killed
people or domestic animals. The villages became panicky. The concerned

government wanted to do something. It requested Jim Corbett to help the villagers.
He agreed to track down the man-eater.

Jim Corbett was an expert hunter. He had developed a lot of experience
with tigers and other wild animals. He was a lover of wild life. He did not like to kill

wild animals for pleasure or sport. But he had not hesitated to kill man-eaters. This

was only to help the people in trouble.
Jim Corbett arrived at the village with his rifle. The rifle was a powerful one.

It could kill big and strong animals like the lion, the tiger and elephant. He had
collected all the information regarding the man-eater. He selected a place. The

tiger used to come there often. Jim Corbett built a platform. This platform was fixed
on a high branch. A young buffalo was tied to the nearby tree. Jim Corbett waited

all night. But the tiger did not come. Perhaps it had scented the hiding man and his

powerful.
Jim Corbett changed his plan. He went back to the village. After that the

tiger came. It killed the buffalo. Then it dragged the dead buffalo in the jungle. The

villagers told Jim Corbett this news. Jim Corbett then went into the forest in search
of the tiger. At last he reached the place. He climbed a tree to find out the tiger.

The tiger had eaten a portion of the dead body of the buffalo. It was lying at a

Teaching and Assessment of Grammar 116