lucky there... a few years back, a little girl was yanked out of a bus in bannerghata (and eaten). that's why you see those elaborate grilles on the windows now.
the thing is, ushasi, if you think about it... why you? why did the tiger ignore the rest of the equally excited bunch and zero in on you? corbett mentions in the man-eating leopards of rudraprayag that a leopard once entered a pilgrims' rest house, picked its way through a floor full of sleeping people and quietly walked away with a woman from the centre of the hall. it had clamped down on her throat, so she couldn't rouse the others. no one knows why the leopard chose her, and not simply the bloke nearest the door. imagine the risk it took!
some claim that it might've been because the lady was wearing bright clothes (can big cats see colour?); others said she must've smelled different because she was from another district. in the end, we'll never know.
i had a somewhat similar experience with not-yet-adult-but-not-juvenile-either crocodiles in horsley hills, AP - though this time, i did the creeping up. i was inside their enclosure, and the crocs - understandably - didn't like it much. i had no idea crocs can growl the way they did that day. coupla pictures, a video framing the sunbathers and me in the same frame, vamoose.
Enjoyed your story Sistuh but I too had an experience yesterday when Timmy Turmeric, the yellow bellied (literally) squirrel in our garden came right up to our patio doors and stared at me in a threatening fashion for a good few seconds. I made myself a cuppa after this harrowing encounter. And you thought you led an exciting life!:-P
Wow, db - sounds like I had a closer shave than I thought! I was wearing black so it can't be that...possibly I was one of the few people sitting by the window on that side. Thanks for the facts btw, very interesting.
Rimky's squirrel story freezes the blood. I bet your squirrel could take my tiger.:)
DB, Timmy has asked me to thank you for the interest you have shown in him. He wants you to know he's ready to relocate to Goa anytime. Wally the squirrel who (thinks he) owns our garden wall hogs the walnuts and so, Timmy believes immigration is the answer to his territorial problems. Timmy promises not to look at you or your wife threateningly or to pack his suitcase full of his famous fighting twigs. Just say the word and he will be on his way; we will be heartbroken to part with Timmy but we want what's best for him.
7 comments:
lucky there... a few years back, a little girl was yanked out of a bus in bannerghata (and eaten). that's why you see those elaborate grilles on the windows now.
the thing is, ushasi, if you think about it... why you? why did the tiger ignore the rest of the equally excited bunch and zero in on you? corbett mentions in the man-eating leopards of rudraprayag that a leopard once entered a pilgrims' rest house, picked its way through a floor full of sleeping people and quietly walked away with a woman from the centre of the hall. it had clamped down on her throat, so she couldn't rouse the others. no one knows why the leopard chose her, and not simply the bloke nearest the door. imagine the risk it took!
some claim that it might've been because the lady was wearing bright clothes (can big cats see colour?); others said she must've smelled different because she was from another district. in the end, we'll never know.
i had a somewhat similar experience with not-yet-adult-but-not-juvenile-either crocodiles in horsley hills, AP - though this time, i did the creeping up. i was inside their enclosure, and the crocs - understandably - didn't like it much. i had no idea crocs can growl the way they did that day. coupla pictures, a video framing the sunbathers and me in the same frame, vamoose.
Enjoyed your story Sistuh but I too had an experience yesterday when Timmy Turmeric, the yellow bellied (literally) squirrel in our garden came right up to our patio doors and stared at me in a threatening fashion for a good few seconds. I made myself a cuppa after this harrowing encounter. And you thought you led an exciting life!:-P
Wow, db - sounds like I had a closer shave than I thought! I was wearing black so it can't be that...possibly I was one of the few people sitting by the window on that side. Thanks for the facts btw, very interesting.
Rimky's squirrel story freezes the blood. I bet your squirrel could take my tiger.:)
Of course! Timmy is a Ninja squirrel. We don't allow rifraff into our garden, y'know (unless related by blood).
Does Timmy sport a nunchaku, or is he hands-free? :)
you're welcome, ushasi. btw - perhaps tigers dig chanel. ;)
DB, Timmy has asked me to thank you for the interest you have shown in him. He wants you to know he's ready to relocate to Goa anytime. Wally the squirrel who (thinks he) owns our garden wall hogs the walnuts and so, Timmy believes immigration is the answer to his territorial problems. Timmy promises not to look at you or your wife threateningly or to pack his suitcase full of his famous fighting twigs. Just say the word and he will be on his way; we will be heartbroken to part with Timmy but we want what's best for him.
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