Destruction of life in India by wild animals / J. Fayrer.

  • Fayrer, Joseph, Sir, 1824-1907.
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Destruction of life in India by wild animals / J. Fayrer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/17 (page 252)
    2 f Z. 2. animal life. As in the case of venomous snakes, the pre- vention, or at all events diminution of loss of human and domestic animal life from the ravages of wild animals, is a question mainly of time, perseverance, and expenditure of money. The last consideration perhaps may have stood in the way of progress, not that expenditure of rupees either has been or would be grudged, were there certainty that it would overcome the evil, but that there may have been, perhaps is, a natural reluctance to spend public money for what seems an uncertain benefit, as some have regarded a system of rewards for destruction of snakes and wild animals. The Government of India has always evinced a desire to adopt any steps that might reasonably afford hope of relief, and many resolutions by the supreme and local Governments, and considerable expenditure of money with this object in view, proves that the authorities have been and are alive to the magni- tude of the evil and to the importance of repressing it, and that they have taken measures which in some districts have been attended with a fair amount of success. But the absence of a thoroughly organised system of dealing with the evil, and the desultory and varying methods employed have prevented the attainment of the success that might fairly be expected and would be obtained under better arrangements ; and it will not be until some complete organised system have been steadily and perseveringly prosecuted that the desired result will be accomplished. A few years ago (in 1878), when calling attention to this subject, I noted that the loss of life from wild animals in 1875 and 1876 had been as follows :— Animals. Killed in 1875. Killed in 1876. Persons. Cattle. Persons. Cattle. Elephants 6l .. 6 ... 52 ... 3 Tigers 828 .. . 12,423 ••• 917 ... 13,116 Leopards 187 .. . 16,157 ... 156 -. 15,373 Bears 84 .. 522 ... 123 ... 410 Wolves I,o6l .. . 9,407 ... 887 ... 12,448 Hyaenas 68 .. . 2,116 ... 49 ... 2,039 Other animals ... 1,446 .. • 3,011 ••• 143 ... 4,573 Total 3,735 •• . 43,642 ... 2,327 ... 47,962 Comparing these returns with that of 1880-81 it will be observed that the loss of life has not been materially diminished Persons killed. 1880 1881 1875 1876 2,840 2,757 3,735 2,327 though there is reason to hope that future yearly reports will be more favourable. Registration is now becoming more accurate than it has been, and the returns are probably more reliable than they were, but they do not indicate any marked im- provement on the whole. It is evident, however, from the terms of the resolution before referred to, that Lord Ripon is determined to deal vigorously with the evil, and, just as in the case of the poisonous snakes—only, perhaps, more surely —will the result, in time, justify the expenditure which must needs be incurred.