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| Tiger hunting in India. ookandlearn.com |
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| Tiger population. imesofindia.indiatimes.com |
India, which is home to more than half the global tiger population Between 2000 and 2019 75% of seizers were related tigers. India accounts for 2967 of the global population of 3951They were killed for their body parts. The head gets a huge bundle on the secret market. In the Asian countries 12 tiger reserves account for 95% of their death. Besides 383 were caught alive according to a global organization TRAFFIC, a UK based NGO having global link.
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| Indian states with highest seizers.imesofindia.indiatimes.com |
In the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) on display was a popular gift from King George V (1865 – 1936). It was one of 39 tigers the King had killed during his hunting excursion in Nepalese Terai in 1911 the year of his extravagant Coronation Durbar in Indi under the direction Lord Curzon. Victorian era of the Raj was often referred to as the heyday of tiger hunting. The Hindi word ''Shikar'' became popular among the British elite who had been to India. The Raj had no restrictions on tiger hunting and it was considered a true masculine sport.
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| Govt, of India Ad in the USA.(1950) economictimes.indiatimes.com |
Above image: A1950 ad in the US by the Government of India Tourist Office, inviting Americans for ‘shikar’ trips to India with a tiger prominently displayed. “Fishing and small game hunting” was also included in the ad. The authorities back then clearly thought that our wildlife population should be commercially exploited..........
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| sporting activities in the British Raj..fieldsports-journal.com |
During the Raj under the direct British Crown administration in India between 1858 and 1947, tiger-hunting was regarded as a masculine outdoor sport and the British more than the Indian Maharajahs took keen interest to be out in thick jungles to hunt the ferocious animals. Indian natives unwilling to kill most animals because of their religion, hunted on a limited basis.
Wild beast hunting, a glorified and popular sport that needed the help of the natives who had a good knowledge of the topography of the jungle and behavior of the big cats, etc. Because of over hunting by the British officials and the Maharajahs who used to accompany them, the tiger population began dwindling over a period of time since early 1900s. Humans are the major predators of tiger, During hey day of the Raj in the later period, it was a well-known sport for the British and visiting dignitaries from Europe to India. They were keen to take the taxidermied animal back home as a trophy for their bravery. It is also commented that the British who were bored with mundane life in a hot country wanted to get enthused so they took time off to head toward the jungle to run after the wild beasts.
It is reported that between 1875 and 1925 80000 tigers were killed and became trophies for the hunters. According to hunter-turned-conservationist E. P. Gee at the beginning of the twentieth century Indian tigers numbered around 40,000, and by 1964 their numbers had dwindled to a meagre 4,000.An interesting fact is Lord Curzon's interest in tiger hunting was on par with that of prince of Wales (later king George V). Tiger hunting was banned in India after
1972. https://imperialglobalexeter.com/2018/09/17/shooting-tigers-in-early-20th-century-india
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| .King George V in his royal regalia. britannica.com |
A brief note on King George's hunting bonanza after the Delhi Durbar (1911):
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| prince of Wales, Tiger hunting in India.agefotostock.com |
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| A manhunting tiger on horse back!Dumielauxepices.net |
Following the colorful Durbar ceremony that lasted from 12 t0 17 December 1911 (the main Durbar was on the 12th of December,) it was time for the emperor to relax away from the urban jungle and madding crowd to be in the natural jungle; time to commit himself in royal hunting. A fortnightly hectic royal duty of meeting so many dignitaries, obeying protocol formalities, in between mingling with partying and having a barrel of fun with the British and Indian elite, etc., would have fatigued His Excellency. A hunting trip to the jungles of Nepal was arranged for king George who happened to be a keen marksman. A time to cool off before heading back to London to resume his royal duties there and it was a grand opportunity to show his bravery and skill in hunting wild animals,
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| Tiger hunting in India Prince of Wales and his party.stockphoto.com |
01. The Maharajah of Nepal, who himself was a good hunter, had spent months preparing for the King's visit and his successful royal hunt. To avoid, inordinate delay or any hitch, the Maharajah had his men cut make-shift roads for miles through the dense jungle so that the British party could join people from India to hunt the exotic creatures with considerable ease. This would avoid cumbersome trail-blazing in the dense and dangerous jungle by the royal party.
02. King George soon began a hunting trip to Nepal at Nepal King's request. The Maharajah of Nepal had 645 elephants ready for the royal hunting expedition and hundreds of trained hunters to round up the wild animal to make the shoot easy for George. No stalking after animals and no sweating, all he had to do was aim and shoot.
03. During the hunt to help the English king get the target right on the dot animals were baited with bullocks and tied at the edge of thick jungles to entice the tigers. The king and his helpers would be safely waiting for the wild animal toward the bait. This would make the shoot easy for the king, something like cutting a big cake with a plastic knife!!
04. His hunting trails in the jungles of Nepal with the help of his ever present paraphernalia and hunting specialists, saw the killing of 39 tigers, 18 rhinoceros and four bears over a period of 10-days
05. During that era there were more than 100,000 tigers roaming India – today we have less than 2,500. During the colonial period, we lost tigers in thousands as the trigger-happy Maharajahs and British higher-ups used to go on a hunting spree. Lots of tigers disappeared due to illegal poaching and the number is dwindling because reproduction in captivity is a tough job.
06. The Maharajah of Nepal had presented to King George V, a vast collection of animals as gift that included over seventy varieties, ranging from a young elephant and a rhinoceros calf to the wild ass of the Tibetan border, also the rare shou. These and many other animals survived the tough sea journey to England and were sent to the gardens of the Zoological Society in London. (from Historical record of the Imperial visit to India, 1911, p.23).
Presented below are some of the photo images taken 108 years ago of a royal hunting journey in the jungles of Nepal and India undertaken by King George V and his consort during Indian coronation of 1911): Pictures from ......... - https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2019/01/king-george-v-delhi-durbar-1911-and-his.html
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| King George V in Nepal, perfect shooting at the herded animal pinterest.com |
Pictured: King George V of Great Britain is pictured hunting a tiger during the 10-day expedition in Nepal in 1911 - following the Delhi Durbar in India...................................
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| British king's dead tigers trophiesdailymail.co.uk |
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| King george V and dead tigers dailymail.co.uk |
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| Hunting party of George V on the move. dailymail.co.uk |
Pictured: When hunting, animals were baited with cattle tied up at the edges of the jungle. Once more than 100,000 tigers were roaming in India – today it is only 2,500 remain; my be less. Even today, illegal poaching continues unchecked; part of the reason is the tiger reserves are vast..........
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| The hunting party, India dailymail.co.uk |
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| Bravado!! King George V on hunting. Reddit |
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| stampboards.com |
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| King George V hunting with Maharajah of Gwalior, Rajputana province-Pinterest |
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| The hunters and the hunted stampboards.com |
[http://www.glenstephens.com/cambodia.htm]
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| www.dailymail.co.uk |
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| George V hunting spree. a pile of killed tigers, www.dailymail.co.uk |
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| Merciless Indian and British nobility . nationalgeographic.com |
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| Lord Curzon and his wife. Tiger hunting in India-colonial era. SlidePlayer |
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2065804/The-aristocratic-beauty-Raj-A-GLIMPSE-OF-EMPIRE-BY-JESSICA-DOUGLAS-HOME.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3291773/King-George-V-hunting-Nepal-pictures-expedition-killed-60-rhinos-tigers-1911.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travelsupplement/article-3331765/Postcards-royal-journey-Revealing-104-year-old-photographs-King-George-Queen-Mary-s-Indian-coronation-marked-hunt-Nepal-saw-39-tigers-18-rhinoceros-four-bears-killed-just-10-days.html
