The Man-eater of Kyari - Page 2
by Gideon Egger

Ramakant made dilatory adjustments to his rifle and then waved his flashlight over the tigress as if to get a better bead on her position. Finally, after what must have seemed to be an almost endless series of seconds, she dropped the Sambar, turned and walked off. The villagers were livid, feeling betrayed by the Forest Department and fearing for their lives and the lives of their children and their livestock. They were determined that if he would not exterminate the tigress and relieve their consternation, they would take matters into their own hands. Ramakant did his best to assure the people of Kyari that he would protect their lives and property but as night fell on the village he stood with his rifle making sure that no one went after the tigress.

The village of Kyari. Photo.- 
© Gideon Egger 2004.

Sargam Rasaily is Ramakant Tiwari's boss and the man responsible for managing the entire Ramnagar area. He was at the Corbett Foundation's tenth anniversary celebration where I announced the start of a joint Corbett Foundation/ Forever Tigers Scholarship Program and introduced the first recipient, Veterinary College student Gautam Bhalla. After the ceremony Mr. Rasaily approached me to tell me of the situation in Kyari and ask if I'd like to see the village. The next morning the Corbett Foundation arranged a ride for me to his field office at the headquarters of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, and from there he drove me to the village. Far removed from the main roads, several kilometers down a dirt road past a gated check point, Kyari is a simple agrarian village of thatch roofed huts where people and domestic animals cohabitate.

Children in Kyari examining the tigress' pugmarks.
Photo © 2004 Gideon Egger

Pugmarks from the tigress were still extant along a dirt road running through the village and there were more along the side of a small canal that brings water from the river. The Forest Department had moved what remained of the Sambar into a trap off the side of the canal, not far from where the original kill had been made. Forest officers were guarding the trap and waiting for the tigress to reappear. There was a great sense of interest among the villagers and our visit seemed to stir up more excitement. As we examined the pugmarks along the road, a group of children ran over to see what was going on. The forest officers who were accompanying us had to gently reprimand the children to keep them from stepping on the pugmarks. After our tour of the village we drove over to Camp Kyari, a tourist camp just outside the village where Mr. Rasaily was scheduled to have a meeting with some of the village elders.

Kyari is far removed from the usual tourist areas at Corbett, but in 2000 Camp Kyari was established as a way of generating income for the villagers and fostering interactions with tourists. As we waited for the representatives from the village to show up, Sargam introduced me to Ramakant Tiwari and I also met the famous tiger-chasing dog.

© 2004 Forever Tigers
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