Man eating Tigers.

                 
                   Tigers are afraid of human beings and shun them. All tigers are not man eating. Human flesh is not the most-preferred prey for tigers. Most tigers will only attack a human being only if they cannot get their desired food. Tigers show no preference for human meat.

Photo by Mahesh Pillutla

                   One day, in my childhood, during a regular discussion with someone, I came to know that there is 'Jaathi Vairam' (the enmity among various species) between Monkeys and other animals. That means, Monkeys and other animals that are originated from apes (Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Human beings) are not preferred by the wild animals like Tiger, Lion etc. I have now found reasons for this vairam. Wild animals are afraid of animals that can stand on two legs. They have a lot of inferiority complex and feel that we are physically strong and powerful. So, they never target our species.

When tigers (and of-course other animals) become man-eating?

The transformation of a tiger into a man-eater begins under the following circumstances:

1. When a tiger gets hurt by the careless gun shots of hunters, or gets wounded by the quills of a porcupine, and the wounds were never healed, it loses temper due to the pain and starts attacking everyone, including human beings.
2. In forests, when people collect honey or do any sort of farming in half-crouched position, the wild animals do not recognize them as humans but as a form of four legged animal and attack them. Attacking humans is very easy and once when they realize that human being is a sort of 'fast food', they change their preference order.
3. When there is a mistaken identity factor - An Indian postman who was working on foot for many years without any problems with resident tigers was chased by a tiger soon after he started riding a bicycle for his work.
4. When wild animals are too sick and cannot hunt their normal prey, they start concentrating on hunting humans, who are much easier to hunt and kill.
5. When tiger loses its canines in old age, it becomes difficult to hunt and tear the flesh of Deer and other animals (normal prey). So, in such a situation, it starts attacking human beings.

What must be done with such man-eating tigers (and other animals)?

                        Once a man-eater, always a man eater. Once a tiger starts liking the taste of human blood, it is one of the most dangerous animals in the world. It becomes violently aggressive without any reason and poses a threat to the human population. In such cases, it must be captured and kept in zoos. It is only in rare unavoidable cases where the man-eaters are shot dead / poisoned and not captured.

                        When lost in middle of a jungle and if we face a tiger, be brave and do not try to run.
Stand still till the time it goes away. If on a motor bike or a cycle, let the Tiger cross the road and then return home safe.