Tiger deadliest in history: Champawat

The scorching summer sun descended on a mountain path in the jungle of the Nepalese Himalayas. A group of men, women and children moved steadily through the dense forest, until one of them suddenly heard a rustle in the bushes. A few minutes later it was deafening silence in the jungle again. The trail was littered with bodies. The group had become the victim of the most dangerous serial killer of Mother Nature: the Champawat tiger.

By the end of the 19th century there were disturbing stories from the Nepalese mountains. Local residents spoke of a huge Bengal tiger without any fear in broad daylight people came and devoured. Initially only individual travelers were victims, but soon became less cautious predator.  

Over time, even large companies were not sure their lives on the mountain trails. According to tradition, had the largest group ever was victim of an attack as many as 12 people. Nobody could tell the tale.

Deployment of the army

As a result of these massive parties eats the victims of the Champawat tiger quickly ran into the tens. In an attempt to end the bloodshed to an end the Nepalese government put a bounty on the head of the predator , but the hunters were often victims had their "prey" before they even seen the animal . Eventually, the local authorities decided but the help of the Nepalese army to call. The soldiers knew the animal ultimately not to kill, but with much noise and warning shots they did succeed to dislodge.  

Tiger to Indian territory Panic in India

Having in Nepal totaling more than 200 lives claimed the Champawat tiger on the other side of the border was simply on the same foot. Within a few years the predator doubled its death toll by another make. 200 Indian victims The Champawat tiger was in this period increasingly reckless and even began to attack in search of human flesh. Entire villages at a given time Adult men dared not leave to go to work for fear of being eaten. Their home In their panic the northern Indian authorities pinned their hopes on a man finally: Jim Corbett.

Jim Corbett

At first it seemed Jim Corbett not exactly the ideal man to tackle. The Champawat tiger to The 32 - year-old British Indian worked on the railways and at that time had no experience with the hunt for a man-eating feline, but the former soldier soon proved a natural. After the tiger in 1907 a 16 - year-old girl was slain in an attack on the village of Champawat, Corbett ran the animal chase towards the forest. After more than 24 hours a trail of blood and guts to have followed he found the Champawat tiger and he shot her with a shot dead.

Remarkable discovery

After his heroic actions Corbett became a local saint, but the Brit resolutely refused to collect his reward. Instead, he decided to focus on the raising of other feline man eaters, which he eventually another 32 omlegde fully. In 1947, he hung his weapon on the willows and he has just committed to the preservation of the endangered Bengal tiger.

The Brit would otherwise often think back to his first "kill" the Champawat tiger, and the remarkable discovery he made after her death. The beast was in fact already have an older gunshot wound in her mouth so she could not chew her normal prey meat and was therefore compelled to be much more tender human flesh to hunt . According to official figures claimed the Champawat tiger thus ultimately less than 436 lives, but presumably that number is actually much higher.