Man-eater: First Kill | Prey

The conflict between man and beast has been going on for time immemorial. Few have experienced this conflict as closely as Jim Corbett. This is the story of Corbett’s first encounter with a man-eater set in the jungles of Champawat.

An old photograph of Jim Corbett, ready in his hunting getup. Sources: Wikimedia Commons

There are many stories to tell of Jim Corbett’s adventures and hunts, but before one reads his story, it is important to understand two things. Firstly, throughout his stories and adventures, Jim Corbett has exhibited nothing but the utmost compassion and respect for the animal he is going after. Expressing concern over the loss of tigers in India, he has stated, “India will be the poorer, having lost the finest of her fauna.”

Secondly, his accounts are devoid of the air of colonial superiority; instead, he exhibits humility and understanding of the needs and customs of the locals, going as far as recovering pieces of the bodies of the victims killed by maneaters, so that they can be cremated as per Hindu customs. With these things in mind, we are ready to begin the story of Jim Corbett’s first encounter with a man-eater.

On a field situated above their hillside house, two sisters are cutting grass. Suddenly, a tiger appears and attacks the elder sister. The tiger starts dragging the elder sister away, while the younger sister chases after them, pleading to let her sister go and take her instead. Heroically, she ran after the tiger for almost 100 yards, when the tiger stopped. The beast put down the dead body of the elder sister and turned its attention toward the brave girl. With a thundering roar, he leaped at her. The girl raced down the hill towards the village with a heart full of fear, yelling to attract the villagers' attention. The girl had escaped from the claws of certain death but by the time she reached downhill, she couldn’t utter a single word. She had lost her voice.

This was one of the many incidents and the elder sister was one of the hundreds of victims to fall prey to the man-eater of Champavat. Over the years, the beast had killed hundreds of villagers in the region and the residents of Champavat and the surrounding villages lived day and night in abject terror.

The government decided to step in–they announced a reward to kill the beast. Many experienced hunters tried their hands but failed. In the meanwhile, Berthoud, who was deputy commissioner of Nani Tal, decided to seek out his friend in this dire situation. His friend was none other than Jim Corbett. Although he was a novice hunter, when it came to man-eaters, Berthoud was confident in Corbett’s skills. He made him promise to set out for Champavat if the beast strikes again.