Man-Eaters

Man-Eaters - Page 1&2:Why Cats Attack | 3&4: The Real Facts | 5&6: Jim Corbett | 7&8: The Sundarbans |
9&10: Dudhwa Tiger Reserve | 11&12: Reducing Attacks | 13&14: Tiger Attack Stories

All cats will attack people given the right circumstances, however the tiger has developed an undeserved, but almost universal reputation as the man-eater of the cat world.

Tigers have been hunted by man throughout history, starting with the spear and now with the gun. They have little reason to approach people and will generally give them a wide berth, except in long-established reserves.

Why tigers attack man:

There are occasional exceptions to this and various events may cause a tiger to start preying on humans:

  • An aged, sick, or injured cat.

Humans, particularly poachers or villagers protecting their stock, may shoot and injure a tiger. These are solitary creatures and unlike the lion have no pride group to hunt for them if they become sick.

  • Loss of teeth. This is a prime reason for cats starting to seek out easier prey.


However, a couple of loose teeth does not a man-eater make. In one case, a post-mortem examination revealed a tigress with two broken canine teeth (only about a third remained of each tooth), four missing incisors and a lose upper molar. Only once reaching this stage did she attack a workman.

The jaws pictured on this page are those of a man-eater. Teeth like this make catching and holding prey extremely difficult.

 (Continued Page 2)

Man-Eaters - Page 1&2:Why Cats Attack | 3&4: The Real Facts | 5&6: Jim Corbett | 7&8: The Sundarbans |
9&10: Dudhwa Tiger Reserve | 11&12: Reducing Attacks | 13&14: Tiger Attack Stories

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