As time went on the solitude which at first had been so marked a feature in the tiger’s domain was broken by the ever-increasing number of human beings who found occupation or amusement therein. Formerly, only herds of cattle and their attendants roamed the forest, paying no attention to the jungle-folk, and hardly noticed by them; later on came those who felled timber and cut bamboos, their camps were numerous all over the area; and last of all came hunting parties of varying size, from the solitary sportsman who wandered afoot amongst the wild animals, to the large company, well organized to slay, who boasted of the number of their victims, and were proud of their stud of elephants and of their army of trackers and huntsmen. Not only peace but safety had departed, for though the graziers might not tell of the tiger’s whereabouts, there were others, cart-men, sawyers and carpenters, who for the sake of a small reward, indeed often as a remedy for their own fears, would report all that they saw or heard to those who were able to make use of the information.

The tiger, now well experienced and cautious, gifted moreover with a most intimate acquaintance with the forest, yet found difficulty in evading all of these human beings, and their repeated invasions so seriously reduced the head of game in his hunting grounds, and forced the remainder to be so constantly on the alert that he lived in a perpetual state of anxiety, and was often put to great trouble before he could obtain a meal. Even when he had succeeded in capturing his prey he feared to return to the kill lest during his absence some ambush should have been laid; so that, unless he could drag his victim close to some water supply, he derived but one day’s food from even the largest animal. For tigers must drink after a heavy meal of flesh, and particularly in the hot weather when hunting parties were abroad, he suffered torments if forced to remain thirsty for many hours.

He dreaded the approach of human beings and the loud reports of the weapons they carried; and so while eager to slink away if this were possible, yet, if by chance his retreat was cut off, his natural courage asserted itself, and was indeed fortified by his hatred of his persecutors. He had seen others fall victim to the dangers he had so far escaped; the stag with mortal wound rushing blindly through the forest only to fall dead when breasting slopes; or the panther lying harmless after hours of agony; he had followed the trail of others, doomed to a lingering death, but for his swift interference; and the increasing difficulties of his existence rendered him more cautious and also more morose. For to live always in fear of death results in a change of habits and characteristics, and induces a strain of unaccustomed cruelty. He had been driven by gangs of beaters, and had learned that the less risk lay in escaping through the advancing line; for, though there might be guns there, yet, in the confusion of his onslaught, these had hitherto been ineffective; while the very caution necessary to steal away through the hidden sportsmen in front afforded to these an easy shot from their posts of vantage. He had been fired at from machans and now was reluctant to take the risk of appropriating the baits of young buffaloes which he frequently came across; and, whereas formerly he expected no danger to lurk in the trees above him, now the need for circumspection was doubled by the possibility of a hunter being hidden in any leafy tree.

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The tiger lay one night on the borders of a jungle clearing; there the unfertile soil was covered with a growth of thorny bushes, which assumed strange shapes in the transparent gloom of the night. He had come for miles through the darker forest, moving slowly with the greatest circumspection; at each footstep, the soft-padded paws seemed to feel the earth before any weight was allowed to bear on them; mechanically in their descent they pushed softly aside any dry leaf or twig which might, by their crackling, give notice of movement in the jungle, and now, tired from the constant nervous strain, he was resting before resuming his solitary way.

A movement in the fantastic outlines of the bushes caught his attention, and he shrank still further into the friendly earth, all his fears at once aroused. A family of sloth-bears were feeding on the wild berries, embracing the bushes with shaggy arms, tearing off the fruit, intermingled with leaves and twigs, in the rough manner common to these beasts. The tiger was glad even of this companionship, for it suffered him to relax his attention, for bears have the keenest power of scent, relying on this rather than on hearing or sight, so that timely warning would be given of any intruder.

The bears roamed round the little clearing, leaving no bush till despoiled of the fruit it bore, then commenced digging for roots and snuffing at the anthills to discover whether or not these were in occupation. The male bear soon found one to his liking, and commenced digging with his powerful claws to force an entry to the main passage, while the mother and her cubs sat around regarding the proceedings, though they could not possibly expect any share in the spoils. By dint of hard labour the bear had dug some three feet below the surface of the soil, and now inserting his muzzle in the tunnel drew deep inhalations which dragged with them crowds of unwilling insects into the moist mouth which was ready to receive them. The bear presented a ludicrous sight with his head buried in the earth and his hindquarters raised high towards the sky, and the noise of his breathing sounded loud through the still forest. After a time he commenced again to dig till he reached the nest with its paper-like combs full of helpless maggots, and this he devoured in great mouthfuls. Then, while enjoying this selfish meal, he suddenly caught the scent of the tiger in the night air, and as quickly turned to fly. In his clumsy way he stumbled against the she-bear, and she, with the prompt retaliation of her tribe, at once struck and bit at her mate. Immediately the forest re-echoed with loud discordant cries, and the whole family disappeared into the forest, biting and scratching, in the belief that some enemy was amongst them seeking their lives.

Excerpted with permission from The Life of a Tiger, S Eardley-Wilmot, Talking Cub.