Mr. H. A. Kuyper, from Medan, wrote to “De Levende Natuur” regarding tigers: Tigers here are not dangerous to humans (though there are exceptions), as there is an abundance of wild game for them in the forests and fields.
They can be found quite close to Medan—within about 5 kilometers. Some time ago, I was at the “Rotterdam B” tobacco plantation. A calf, which had been attacked by a tiger near the administrator’s house, was brought in by four Kalingas. The animal had a deep wound above its right foreleg; it was trembling and shivering all over, and was so frantic that it managed to escape its handlers and bolted away like a mad creature. The most urgent task was to disinfect the wound, as a tiger’s claws almost always carry putrefactive bacteria. The animal was recaptured and, with great difficulty, taken to the stable. There, among the other oxen (zebus), it calmed down somewhat. The wound was cleaned, and the animal survived.
Not long after, one of the assistants at the same plantation told me that, while heading home at 11 o’clock in the morning, he saw a tiger emerge from the undergrowth about 50 meters away. The animal looked at him, paused for a second in surprise, and then vanished with a massive leap into the lalang on the other side of the road. This is a type of grass that grows as tall as a man and forms extremely dense thickets, choking out everything within its reach—it is the greatest enemy of tobacco and rubber plants. It is a rare occurrence to see a tiger in broad daylight. They emerge toward evening—the time when they are most dangerous, having usually fasted all day.
As I mentioned, however, their prey consists 99 percent of wild boars, though occasionally they also take an ox. I have heard from several reliable sources that a tiger can drag off a full-grown ox, even leaping over a hedge several meters high while carrying its prey—a feat that is almost beyond belief.
In any case, it is extremely dangerous to travel alone on foot—especially at night or late in the evening—along isolated roads without a light. The local inhabitants always carry a lantern or a torch. Furthermore, one has nothing to fear from these wild beasts while inside a car; the bright glare of the headlights and the noise leave them completely disoriented. There have even been instances where a tiger remained sitting by the roadside, staring blankly, utterly dazed by the intense light of a vehicle.
At night, tigers may cover twenty kilometers or more, yet they always follow a path that winds through the wilderness; they almost never make their way directly through dense undergrowth or tall lalang grass. They move with great caution, taking care not to step on dry twigs or anything else that might make a sound. They typically attack their prey from behind. Horses, oxen, and most other animals are able to sense the presence of a tiger from a very great distance.
If your horse—as recently happened to an acquaintance of mine—suddenly becomes fearful and, despite all your efforts, wheels around and bolts in the opposite direction, you can be certain that a tiger is nearby. This occurred recently on the Laboenweg, not far from Meden; it later emerged that a tiger prowls the area almost every evening, lying in wait for its prey.
Utrechtsche courant 09-03-1914
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