More than a century ago, terror prowled the Himalayan foothills. Villages were deserted, fields remained empty, and terror swept through two nations. At the heart of this horror was a single Bengal tigress whose name would become etched into history -- the Champawat Tiger, responsible for 436 human deaths and a transformation in India's approach to wildlife.
How did a single tigress become a man-eater?
The saga began in the late 1890s in the forests of Nepal. Habitat loss and dwindling prey drove the tigress to starvation. A bullet from a hunter broke her jaw, rendering her incapable of killing wild animals. In desperation, she turned to humans, slower and more vulnerable targets, for survival.
Her initial attacks were spotty and underestimated. But as victims mounted, panic started. By the time she entered India, 200 had been killed.
Unlike most tigers that avoid people, she hunted in broad daylight and roamed near settlements. Fields were deserted and trade routes collapsed as fear paralysed entire regions.
Why did even armies fail to stop her rampage?
Attempts to capture or kill the Champawat Tiger became increasingly desperate. Rewards were announced, and hunters poured in. Even a regiment of Nepalese soldiers failed to corner her. When trapped near the border, she leapt into the Sharda River and swam to safety in India.
Her attacks became more calculated and frequent. She roamed as far as 20 miles between attacks and frequently picked on women and children out foraging firewood. Villagers remained in a perpetual state of fear, and officials were unable to anticipate her next move. Ripped clothes and bones were the only indications of her route.
Who finally ended the reign of the Champawat Tiger?
By 1907, the colonial administration turned to Jim Corbett, a skilled hunter from the Kumaon hills known for tracking man-eaters. His hunt began after the tigress killed a 16-year-old girl near Champawat. Following a blood trail and assisted by 300 villagers forming a human barrier, Corbett prepared an ambush.
When the tigress appeared, she charged with lethal force. Corbett fired, wounding but not stopping her. Running low on ammunition, he grabbed a villager's shotgun and fired the final shot from just 20 feet away, ending the most deadly man-eater's reign.
The examination of her body revealed shattered canines -- the injury that had driven her to prey on humans. This find influenced Corbett's vision about man-eaters. Gradually, his attention diverted from killing the predators to safeguarding them. He spoke out against habitat destruction and human encroachment, recognising them as the root causes of such tragedies.
What legacy did the Champawat Tiger leave behind?
This did not end with her demise. Corbett went on to become one of India's greatest conservationists, advocating the safeguarding of tigers and their habitats. This effort resulted in the establishment of India's first national park in 1936, subsequently renamed Jim Corbett National Park.
The Champawat Tiger's legacy is a stark reminder of nature's fragile balance. Her tale highlights how humanity's actions can breed fatal conflicts with wild animals. A century and more after her, her story still echoes as a lesson in cohabitation and preservation -- one born in blood, terror and a predator's desperate will to survive.