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Reachout's Newsmaker
Thoughts by E.Ajaikumar Reddy [ Author]
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Hyderabad: I
was born and brought up in the jungle town 'Konta' where my parents lived. While I was in college some family problems cropped up that resulted in putting a full stop for my education and join my father in his timber business.
Our 600 plus cattle which were used for pulling bullock carts to
transport our timber logs, were kept during the off- transport season in deep jungles where they had plenty of green grass to feed on and keep fit for the next season.
When I joined my father on business, I found that we were faced
with heavy losses due to destruction caused by tigers and
leopards that were killing my cattle.
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They preferred killing my
cattle for the reason that when they found our big flock of
cattle together in one big herd it was easy finding one alone
when they fled helter-skelter upon ferocious growls they made,
in spite of several herds-men guarding them.
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Tigers and leopards are very gentle in Nature, live in complete harmony with human beings, as they do not compete with each other for food. I have loved wildlife and nature from my childhood, but I could not stay quiet on losing my live stock frequently. It was a necessity for me to get rid of these marauders. I started hunting tigers and leopards that encroached upon my property very reluctantly.
To go after dangerous animals like man-eating and cattle killing tigers, one needs a lot of courage and the desire to lead an adventurous life with life risks all the time. It also needs a thorough knowledge on weapons, a natural liking to lead a rough outdoor life for longer periods without city comforts. And most important of all a good deal of experience to know about big cats' behavior on different situations is needed. I possessed all the qualities needed except the last one. I was decided to take chances and learn on my own with some guidance from hunting books and native tribal "gurus".
But I found later that applying general methods for hunting big cats was dangerous as every incident proved to be different and educative from another. I was almost dead quite a few times in tracking tigers on fresh kills and tigresses with cubs and in tackling wounded tigers on foot.
I was successful in protecting my cattle property at a high cost. I began to learn something new and different after every successful hunt that was my asset in my future years. Considering my past experiences in tackling worst of the worst situations in hunting man-eaters and cattle killers I was given a job of professional hunter by the world famous safari outfitters of India M/s Allwyn Cooper [P] Ltd.
My job was to guide the hunter sports persons from all over the world who came for hunting in India and to protect them against any untoward incidents that might occur while tackling the game animals under dangerous situations.
I would not have been alive to tell my tales to the people now without that little bit of "good luck" I had in my life. I realized this truth quite a few times when I came out of danger without casualty.
There is a safety line drawn between the hunter and the animal being hunted. That line differs from hunter to hunter and animal to animal being hunted. If one tries to cross that line it could lead to trouble. I did cross that line quite a few times, over estimating my powers and under estimating my quarry's abilities to fight back, but all of them turned to be in my favor. I was saved only because of my good luck.
I love Nature and wildlife from my childhood and hunted the most wanted cattle and human killers under difficult circumstances. I sold all my weapons and other hunting gear as soon as hunting was banned in India in 1970. I don't possess any animal skin or trophy at home now to show that I was a hunter. I love and respect Nature, which, I believe is my God.
At the end all I can say is that innocent animals and native tribals are many times better than the so-called civilized human beings. Native tribals do not lie. They always speak the truth only and show on their faces what they have in mind. The same way wild animals reveal what they have in mind by delivering signals on their faces, but the so-called civilized folks, with out any pre-intimation do what they are not supposed to do and do not do what they have promised to do, both to their benefit only.
E.Ajaikumar Reddy [Author]
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