The
Tigers and Panthers are so numerous that
it is dangerous to travel on foot at night through three fourths of the
District; the tigers have occasionally stopped the post. Within the last three
years a panther in the Mahur pargana, near the Penganga has killed sixty three
human beings and the most strenuous exertions to destroy him have failed. At
the beginning of the year 1868 no less than five persons were killed by this
panther in a forthnight. Bears
frequently attack and kill cutters of wood and chital could generally be
found in a certain ravine within a mile or two of Yavatmal town and panthers
sometimes came into the civil station; but this state of things has largely
disappeared. Two kinds of monkeys are found in the district. The langur is
common everywhere and does a great deal of damage to crops and roofs. The
bandar is not common. Tigers, through
no longer numerous, are found in most of the larger forest reserves.
They live largely on Sambhar, Chital and Nilgai.
The
Panthers are common throughout the District and are very
destructive to domestic animals, especially to goats. The jungle cat and the
Chita or hunting leopard are found occasionally; and the mongoose and hyena are
met with in all parts of the District, as also is the jackal. Wolves live
chiefly in the hilly parts of Darwha taluka. Packs of wild dogs are met in all
the larger forest reserves. There is a belief that they do not attack cattle,
but a pack at Pathrot in Darwha taluka
killed a cow in 1907. The same pack mauled a panther so badly that it died of
the wounds. Low caste people eat animals killed by wild dogs, and on that
account are sometimes unwilling to assist in their destruction. The Fox is
found everywhere especially in scrub jungle. The sloth bear is common in all
parts of the District. It lives chiefly in caves or thickets of bamboo, but in
the rains it wanders about and sleeps in Juari fields. Bears are sometimes
dangerous, particularly when they have cubs. They usually measure from five
feet to five feet six inches, but one was lately shot measuring six feet four
inches. ********