Tiger Hunt

This scene shows a wounded tiger turning and attacking his pursuers. The incident is described in ‘Sport in Many Lands’, a book written by H. A. L (Henry Astbury Leveson) ‘The Old Shekarry’, one of the most famous game hunters of Victorian times.

Levison served in the Indian army from 1845 to 1854 and returned on hunting trips between 1856  and 1860. The events described here probably took place during his army service.*

Tiger Hunt

Tiger Hunt

*information from a sign board next to the display

20 Comments CherryPie on Mar 20th 2019

20 Responses to “Tiger Hunt”

  1. Hels says:

    I feel very ambivalent. On one hand, we wanted to have accurate historical representations of life in India, especially artistically skilled representations.

    On the other hand, the brutality was sickening.

    • CherryPie says:

      The museum display shows many thing things that show brutality. It is the history that is interesting and fascinating. The displays are presented in a way to make people think…

      Including the more modern gallery of gun and knife crimes.

  2. lisl says:

    It’s very graphic

  3. I really enjoyed this museum.
    You can easily spend a day there.

  4. Ginnie says:

    I suppose nowadays this would not be very PC, Cherry?! (sigh)

    • CherryPie says:

      Nowadays most people have moved on with their thoughts and do not like the hunting of animals for sport. They think the practice is barbaric.

  5. Astrid says:

    I think the display is very realistic and shows that it was quite the hunt. Now we know better, hoever I think they still hunt in “secret”. Sometimes I wonder, what is it in some human beings that they have the need to kill and have to own a lot of guns… but that is a different discussion all together. It is good that the museum shows the hunt and I think they did a great job with the realistic displays.

    • CherryPie says:

      I agree that nowadays most people know better. But as you say, some human beings still feel the need to do this.

      The museum also had a display on more recent gun and knife crime and those that had been affected by it. This display disturbed more than any other exhibits and themes in the museum.

  6. This is astonishing, CP. I’ve been meaning to visit the Royal Armouries in Leeds for years and haven’t made it yet. Seems like you’re having/have had a cracking trip!

    • CherryPie says:

      We had a great mini trip :-) I am a bit slow in posting about the places we visited.
      House decorating and moving of furniture has got in the way ;-)

      You would enjoy the museum. A post on the ‘War Elephant’ is coming up next when I can compose my thoughts to write it :-)

  7. The Yum List says:

    Unfortunately, tigers are on the endangered species list now. Not so many left to be seen.

  8. ....peter says:

    this is a superb sculpture of a very dramatic scene Cherie… i would not believe that a tiger would attack an elephant…
    i am not a fan of big game hunters… i prefer hunters who bring their prey home to eat…
    we have a lot of that in Canada….peter:)

    • CherryPie says:

      Well… the tiger was being hunted. It could stand its ground or flee. The tigers reaction was instinctive to the situation it found itself in.

      I am not a fan of game hunters either and agree with you that the only excuse for hunting is to provide food.

  9. Amfortas says:

    Sitting in a wooden box atop a swaying elephant is what makes it a dangerous ’sport’. The actual hunting wasn’t the ’sport’ bit. That was an essential, like plumbing or shingling your roof. OK. Perhaps not quite like plumbing and shingling. But the tigers used to kill people. In a really grusome way. Small children too. And old ladies. So tackling that menace required chaps willing to risk being lobbed off the back of an elephant. It would have been less fun just walking.

    • CherryPie says:

      I agree, that sitting atop a wooden box and needing to be in close contact with the tiger to combat him is a skill. Unlike modern day trophy hunters that can shoot to kill from a distance without fear of their life. That is not a skill.

      I would need to read the book ‘Sport in Many Lands’ to establish if Levison was protecting people or just enjoying the hunt.

      Either way I feel for the elephant :-(

      As mentioned in a previous comment, my next post is about war elephants ;-)

  10. Ayush says:

    while i have nothing in support of hunting, i imagine his accounts from those times would be interesting, CP