Stopping A Devil Cat’s Charge

Panther Shooter

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A very close younger friend of mine , who has been eagerly reading @Major Khan Sir’s and my writings on AH Forums , decided ( Upon my encouragement ) to try his hand at writing , recently . He is my compatriot , young Mr . Enayet Hamza ( Well , he is 57 years old . So he is definitely younger than I ) .

Enayet is a true Shikari and a sportsman to boot . He has even gone on a safari to Zimbabwe in 1983 , where he has successfully brought down a Cape Buffalo , a Gemsbok and a Zebra . As well as some guinea fowl and francolin partridges ( And he is Hellbent on going off on another African safari , very soon ) . However , Enayet’s exploits in his ( our ) motherland are nothing too mundane , either ; by any stretch of imagination .

Being an exceptionally competent Shikari and extremely adept with the use of firearms , Enayet’s services ( over the years ) have frequently been called upon by his local forest department in order to help deal with any hostile wildlife , which might be posing a threat to the locals . Among these hostile wildlife , is the greatest fiend to ever menace South East Asia - The man eating Hunting Leopard . And indeed ; Enayet has brought down more than his fair share of these fiends , over the years .

Enayet has long been a reader of AH Forums , and my writings ( as well as Major Poton Khan Sir’s ) on these forums have given him inspiration. He asked me if I could share one of his Shikar experiences on AH forums on his behalf , if he put it on paper . I happily agreed and rather encouraged him to go for it . Well , he eloquently wrote down the account of how he successfully brought down his life’s very first man eating Hunting Leopard and sent it to me today , via email .Along with a few gripping photographs , for me to use .

Thus , I shall be narrating Enayet Hamza’s adventure today . I honestly hope that everyone here finds it to as enjoyable as I did , when I read Enayet’s rough draft this morning . I would also personally like to thank Enayet for coming forward and sharing his story , on AH forums for all of us to enjoy .
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Man Eating Hunting Leopard brought down by the Author . Henceforth , all photographs used in this write up are provided by Enayet Hamza .
 
Written by Enayet Hamza

“ I was born in 1963 and have lived all my life in the same place - On the outskirts of the Panchagarh district in the North most end of Bangladesh . Father used to be a Doctor ( he is mostly retired now that he is 78 years of age , although he still visits his chamber once a week ) and tended to all of the locals in the villages in and around Panchagarh . We had ( and have ) a big , beautiful bungalow on the outskirts of Panchagarh , where we live and I have always felt that there is no place like home .

Far from the hustle and bustle of the big cities , it is surrounded by serene nature and large pockets of forest . Father and Mother taught me to love nature from the tender age of 2 ( or maybe even earlier , but I can’t remember ) . Father was a Freedom Fighter during the Liberation War Of Bangladesh In 1971 . A guerrilla , who knew the forests like the back of his hand . Mother owned ( and owns ) a bakery in the town , but loved the forests just as much as Father did . They taught me to enjoy forest trekking , cycling and fishing . These were activities which I greatly enjoyed during the weekends or during school holidays . But I am most grateful to them , for introducing me to the world of hunting . Or , as we call it around these parts - Shikar .

Father owned ( and owns ) a Belgian Browning A-5 12 gauge semi automatic shotgun . Beautiful thing . 76 mm Magnum chamber . 32 inch full choke barrel . 5 round tubular magazine . I shot my life’s very first Teal duck , with that shotgun . However , single barrel shotguns were just not for me . I much preferred double barrels . Especially side by sides . Call me “ old fashioned “ if you will , but nothing gives you a second shot as fast as a quick handling side by side . And thus , on my 18th birthday ( I was in college , at the time ) , Father helped me apply for a 12 gauge license ( Which I immediately received ) . I then began to look for a decent side by side shotgun to own .

Now , in Bangladesh you can get dozens of different choices of brand new semi automatic, pump action or over under shotguns at practically every single arms shop . However , the only side by side shotguns available in arms shops , are the ones which were brought into the country during the British colonial era . All of these are more than 70 years old , many of them have 65 mm chambers and virtually all of them have been refurbished with locally made Bangladeshi parts ( 90 % of British colonial era side by side shotguns found in Bangladeshi arms shops have been repaired and refurbished with locally made Bangladeshi parts . Finding a perfectly untampered piece in a local arms shop , would be like finding a needle in a haystack ) . Once in a blue moon however , one could expect a more modern side by side to be available for sale in a local arms shop . These would always be a side by side shotgun which someone had privately imported ( through a licensed importer ) or personally brought into the country , from abroad .

There used to be 2 arms shops in the capital city ( Dhaka ) back in those days ( Nowadays there are 8 , fortunately ) . I had gone with Father to the capital , hoping to find a decent , reliable side by side ( although Mother always told me that one can never go wrong with low expectations ) . I suppose I can profess that I was blessed .
The 2nd arms shop which we had visited , had exactly what I was searching for . It was a beautiful Russian Baikal side by side box-lock 12 gauge shotgun . 24 inch true cylinder choke barrels . Extractors . 76 mm Magnum chambers . Single selective trigger . Despite being second hand , it was in excellent mint condition . Not a scratch . The owner of the shop ( of which Father was a regular patron ) agreed to let me have the shotgun , for a paltry sum of 45,000 Bangladesh Taka . I was elated with joy . Father also purchased me 100 shells alongside the gun ( 4 boxes of Eley 76 mm Alphamax Magnum shells . Each box carried 25 shells ) . 2 boxes were of Number 3 shot size . 2 boxes were of BB shot size .

That was the finest gift which Father could ever purchase me , in my life and remains one of my most prized possessions . Through out multiple times of the year , I would hunt waterfowl near the banks of a local stream which ran into the Jamuna river .
For ducks ( Teals & Common Sheldrakes ) and cranes , I preferred to use Number 3 shot . For Greylag Geese , I preferred BB shot . Whenever I would run low on my supply of shells , Father would take me to Dhaka and we would purchase 4 more boxes .

My elder sister used to study Masters in George Mason University , in Virginia ( USA ) and so my parents ( and I ) would travel to the USA once every 3 moths to visit her . On each of our trips , Father would always purchase 2 large bags of Winchester copper plated “ Luballoy “ shot which we would bring back to Bangladesh. The sizes were Number 6 copper plated birdshot and 00 copper plated buckshot . Father taught me how to force open an Eley Alphamax Magnum 76 mm shell , dump out the BB or Number 3 shot , load in Number 6 birdshot or 00 buckshot ( 15 pellets ) and then re-seal the shell properly again .

Thus , I now had Number 6 shells for hunting upland birds and 00 buckshot shells for hunting cloven hoofed game . The Number 6 shells saw use on pigeons , quails , doves , snipe and rabbits . The 00 buckshot shells saw use on Kakar deer ( Indian Muntjac ) and Bengal bush boars . There were 4 Christian Churches ( 2 were Roman Catholic & 2 were Protestant) around where we live(d) ( now , there are 7 ) and thus , Father would often have me shoot a Bengal Bush Boar or two , in order to donate the freshly purchased pork to one of the Churches . There were no Chital ( Axis ) deer around Panchagarh , as these scrumptious creatures only inhibit the South and South West parts of Bangladesh . And thus , It would be many years before I began to travel to the southern parts of the country in order to start hunting Chital deer ( I would end up shooting my very first Chital deer in 1990 ) .

I lived an adventurous youth . Mother would always send 2 servants to accompany me on my seasonal Shikar excursions . After taking local police permission ( where necessary ) , I would commence my nocturnal Shikar activities ( during weekends or college holidays ) . There is something extremely peaceful about Shikar at night and indeed , that is when I enjoy hunting the most . I would hunt with the aid of a flashlight or a hurricane lamp ( I shall explain the purpose behind the lamp , further down ) and I was indeed , blessed to return home on most nights with some manner of wild game or another . Wild game ( of some form or another ) was ( and is ) a common sight at our meal table , throughout the year .

The following year after purchasing my Baikal , I had applied for a .22 bore rifle license ( which I fortunately also received ) . I then , purchased a Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ ) BRNO bolt action rifle , which was calibrated for .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire ( WMR ) from Bangladesh Shooting Federation ( BSF ) . It was a beautiful piece of Czechoslovakian workmanship and had a 5 round detachable magazine . 40 grain Full Metal Jacket ( FMJ ) ammunition produced by Winchester , were periodically imported into Bangladesh , by BSF . Thus , I had no problems in keeping myself well supplied with .22 WMR ammunition , at all . I used my .22 WMR rifle for hunting rabbits and also for shooting stationary pigeons and doves . My Baikal saw use on all of the other game .

Life was going extremely pleasantly and peacefully , for all of us . But as much as I loved Shikar , I never once imagined that I would ever be hunting a man eater . Or indeed , anything much more dangerous than a Bengal Bush boar .

All of that changed on November , 1982 . “
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Father ( left , holding 12 gauge Browning Auto 5 ) , Father’s friend , Mr. Kawshik Rahman ( centre) , holding .22 WMR BRNO ) and me ( right ) , 1982 . Father and Mr. Rahman are teaching me how to shoot the .22 WMR BRNO .
 
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Written by Enayet Hamza

“ Winter was coming , and my engineering college’s second semester had come to a close . I was free for the rest of the year , and so decided to spend my time hunting in the beloved forests around my family home . I would dedicate some of my time , watching Mother’s bakery . The rest of my time was dedicated to doing what I loved best .

One evening , I told my parents that I was going out to bag a lovely Kakar deer , for our dinner . However on that day , one servant was going to be accompanying Mother to the bazaar . The other servant was needed at home to tend to the main gate . My parents were both a little bit reluctant about letting me go off into the forests , alone . However in the end , they did not think much of it . They knew that I was always an extremely cautious young man , who neither ever took any unnecessary chances , nor attempted to tempt fate in any way . I got up on my Harley motorcycle , and packed my flashlight , my Baikal and a dozen hand-loaded 3 inch 00 buckshot shells , before departing . I also packed my Buck 110 lock-back folding knife , a coil of para-cord , a hurricane lamp , some wax paper , a box of matches , a flask of cold coffee ( my favorite drink ) and some chicken liver pate sandwiches from the bakery . I then departed into the wilderness .

Within 40 minutes or so , I reached a spot which was dense with gooseberry trees . Knowing that Kakar deer would regularly frequent this area to feed ( on the goose berries ) , I decided to “ stake out “ the place . I lit the hurricane lamp and hung it from the branch of a goose berry tree . Then , I lay down on my stomach amongst the thick bushes on the green grassy ground - Baikal in one hand , flashlight in the other . I was roughly 5 meters away from the tree , which had the hurricane lamp hanging from it . The trick was to keep myself concealed from my quarry’s line of sight , for as long as possible . Far off into the distance , I suddenly heard 2 gunshots . However , I thought nothing of it . This part of the forest , was an extremely popular hunting spot . No doubt , the 2 gunshots which I had heard were simply the works of other local Shikaris in a nearby area .

Roughly 75 minutes passed before I finally began to hear some movement amongst the bushes . I could see a sizable Kakar buck , slowly making his way towards the gooseberry trees . The animal ( just as my experience had taught me ) came towards the hurricane lamp , curious as to what brightly glowing object this might be .
As he raised his head upwards to look curiously at the suspended hurricane lamp , I leapt up ( having decided to waste no more time ) . Snapping my Baikal up to my shoulder , I instantly pulled the trigger . The left barrel went off , loudly and the charge of copper plated 00 buckshot blew clean into the Kakar buck’s neck and shoulder . It dropped to the shot , on the spot . It had been hit by 8 of the 15 copper plated 00 buckshot pellets .

I immediately approached the slain buck and took out my Buck 110 . Opening the stainless steel Bowie style blade , I resolved to make the venison “ Halal “ . Reciting the customary line of “ Bismillah Her Rahman Er Raheem “ , I proceeded to slice the Kakar buck’s throat ( right down to the spinal column ) in order to ensure that it completely bled dry . In the mean time , I went back to where I had parked my Harley ( which was roughly 5 minutes away , from where I had shot the Kakar buck ) and retrieved my snacks from my bag-pack . I sat on the motorcycle’s seat , while I drank a cup of cold coffee and ate a chicken liver pate sandwich .

I then , decided that it was time to go and retrieve my Kakar buck . I casually strolled back to the area , where the hurricane lamp was hanging . In the mean time , I opened the breech of my Baikal and took out the empty shell from the left chamber . I replaced it with another hand-loaded Eley Alphamax Magnum 76 mm 00 buckshot shell , before closing it again . When I reached the sight of the slain Kakar buck , I saw that it had properly bled out . I used my Buck 110 to cut off a few pieces of para-cord which I then , used to lash the fore legs and the hind legs of the Kakar buck together . I carried the buck all the way , back to my Harley and I tied the slain animal securely to the top of my motorcycle seat .

I then , returned to the area where I had shot the Kakar buck , in order to retrieve my hurricane lamp . However when I reached the site of the gooseberry trees , something was amiss . I heard quite an unforgettable noise . It sounded a bit , like the growling of a dog . But not quite . It sounded far more aggressive than a dog’s growling . I looked cautiously at the bushes , from which the noise was emanating . My Baikal was in my hands , as I pulled closers towards the bushes . I wondered what the animal causing this noise , could be . A wild jackal , perhaps ? Must be . Wild dogs and jackals were known to frequent this part of the forests . And then , it happened .

The jackal propelled itself out of the bushes , with the speed of being shot out of a catapult . My reaction was purely instinctive. I acted in self defense . Whipping my Baikal up to my shoulder , I took aim at the lunging creature and pulled the trigger , when it was less than 5 meters away from me . The left barrel went off and the concentrated charge of copper plated 00 buckshot took the jackal full on , in the cranium . The animal dropped to the ground . Dead . I turned on my flashlight and shone the light over the dead jackal . You can imagine my level of shock when it had dawned upon me that what I had shot , was no jackal .

It was HUGE . About the size of a large calf . It was covered in black spots ( or rosettes ) . The face had whiskers and looked nothing like a dog’s . On it’s paws , were sharp talons . I suddenly realized that I had just shot and killed a Hunting Leopard . A Hunting Leopard which had stalked and charged me . For a few seconds , I tried my best to compose myself . All species of leopards were legally protected by the laws of Bangladesh - One simply is not legally permitted to kill a leopard , unless if :
1) It is a man eater
2) The person who killed the leopard , acted either in self defense or to protect the lives of other human beings .

I did not want to get into any trouble with the law and thus , I began to weigh in my options . I could dig a hole in the ground and quickly bury the slain Hunting Leopard , in order to hide what I had done . Or I could simply try explaining to the Boda Upozila Forest Department , that I had genuinely acted in self defense . I decided to opt for the latter option . All of the locals ( including forest department officers ) knew Father , extremely well as a respected Doctor and member of the local community . The forest department officers also knew me as a completely harmless and law abiding young man , who always hunted legally and with police permission . They knew me long enough ( since my childhood ) to be well aware of the fact that I never even shot a Teal , without taking the requisite police permission ( where necessary ) . They also knew that this area was one of my frequent haunts , and that I would normally hunt around here during this time of the year .


The more important question was this : What was a Hunting Leopard doing over here , in the first place ? Father and I had been hunting in this part of Panchagarh for quite a few years . And we had never come across anything more dangerous than a Bengal bush boar . Granted , there were other parts of Panchagarh which were frequented by Hunting Leopards . But no one I knew had ever seen or even heard of a Hunting Leopard coming to this part of the forest . It , truly was strange .

Far off into the distance , I could see half a dozen Boda Upozila Forest Department officers , cautiously rushing towards my direction . They were all armed with their standard issue Lee Enfield bolt action rifles , chambered in .303 British which were loaded with 215 grain Remington expanding ammunition . I gulped in nervousness . Was I going to be thrown into prison ? Was I going to have my Baikal confiscated ? Was I going to be penalized with a fine ? It was difficult to say . “
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The Baikal 12 gauge ( 76 mm Magnum ) single trigger box-lock side by side with extractors and 24 inch choke-less barrels
 
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Written by Enayet Hamza

“ I nervously explained to the forest department officers what had happened. I told them about how I had gone out for hunting a Kakar buck and about how I had acted purely in self defense , when the Hunting Leopard had attacked me . Miraculously enough , the forest department officers had no intention of penalizing me , whatsoever . Far from it . They applauded me for my “ Public service “ and then, they gave me the most startling news of all . The Hunting Leopard which I had shot , was a man eater . My jaws gaped open , in utter disbelief.

The forest department officers told me what had really happened : This Hunting Leopard had been responsible for the deaths of 21 villagers in a nearby area , on the edge of Panchagarh . For the last 4 months , The Boda Upozila Forest Department had been making every possible attempt to hunt it down and destroy it . Tonight , a forest department officer had finally managed to shoot it with his Lee Enfield . However , the 215 grain Remington expanding bullet had caught the man eater in the stomach . The enraged and wounded Devil-Cat had retreated through the foliage and kept going until it had wandered into the area where I happened to be hunting Kakar deer .

I could not believe my ears . Through sheer happenstance , I had managed to bag a charging , wounded Hunting Leopard . Which happened to be a man eater . With a single shot . Fired from a shotgun . At less than 5 meters . And most importantly ,the forest department was not going to penalize me at all . If this was not sheer luck , then I do not know what was .

I was present when the forest department officers skinned the man eater and butchered it . It was a mature male with a snout-to-tail measurement of 8 feet 5 inches . It weighed 96 KGs ( Kilograms) . The animal had 8 or 9 large , ugly maggots crawling around , inside his brain . No doubt , this was the reason behind the Hunting Leopard’s pathology ( turning into a man eater ) . The 215 grain Remington expanding bullet ( fired from the forest department officer’s Lee Enfield ) was found inside the Devil-Cat’s stomach . 12 of the 15 copper plated 00 buckshot pellets fired from my Baikal had hit the man eater in the head . 8 of the copper plated 00 buck shot pellets had struck the Hunting Leopard , in the head . These had completely flattened against the Devil-Cat’s skull , without penetrating through the skull ( although the skull had cracked and gotten dented , at multiple places ) . 4 of the copper plated 00 buckshot pellets , had actually hit the Hunting Leopard in the area directly above the eyes . These 4 pellets had successfully punched through the Devil-Cat’s cranium and penetrated into his brain . This was what had brought about the man eater’s death .

I proudly went back home with my Kakar buck and told Mother and Father what had happened . Their reaction was a mixture of pride and panic . They were horrified that I could have incurred a fatal mauling .But at the same time , they were both extremely proud of me . Nevertheless , Father and Mother both insisted that I never travel to that part of the forest alone , ever again . They insisted that I always be accompanied by at least 2 servants or my friends , whenever I would be going on my Shikar excursions to that part of Panchagarh. Father also pointed out that having the hurricane lamp hanging on the branch of the nearby gooseberry tree , had greatly aided me . It had provided me with just enough illumination , to take aim at the charging man eater and shoot him in the head . I could not help , but concede that Father was correct in his speculation .

Of course , this incident is what got me to passionately fall in love with the thrill of hunting dangerous game . Over the years , I would ( deliberately ) aid the Boda Upozila Forest Department by shooting and killing 4 more man eating Hunting Leopards for them . All 4 of these man eaters were wounded , and required me to spoor them through incredibly dense vegetation . I shot and killed all 4 of them , when they were in the act of charging me ( or those accompanying me ) .

In 1983 , Father and I went to Zimbabwe in Africa , where we enjoyed a fruitful safari . We bagged ( among other game ) a HUGE Cape buffalo ( known in Africa , as “ Black Death ). Firing that .458 Winchester Magnum bolt action rifle and bagging that Cape buffalo , was ( what I personally consider to be ) a life changing experience . Immediately , I knew that someday I would return to Zimbabwe for another safari trip ( with a bull elephant or a hippopotamus in mind , this time ) . And maybe . Just maybe . Some day , I will . Very soon .

However , those 4 other man eating Asian Hunting Leopards and that African Cape buffalo pale in comparison to my very first man eating Hunting Leopard . The one which I had killed on November , 1982 . The one which I shot , thinking that it was a charging jackal .As the years go by , every Shikari looks back at his past hunts . When a memory of a previous Shikar brings laughter to one’s face , you know all too well that the Shikar was definitely a worthwhile one . And whenever I look back and recall that very first charging man eater , I laugh to myself . It was certainly a worthwhile experience . “

THE END
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My first charging Devil-Cat
 
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I enjoyed the story Panther Shooter, please tell Enayet. Lucky he wasn’t hunting quail and loaded with No. 6 shot.
Wyatt Smith
Thank you very much . It is remarkable how much luck plays such an important part , in most of our early successes .
 
Panther Shooter, perhaps the photo and mention of Kawshik's name will be enough to get him to reply, and perhaps start writing again. I sorely miss seeing his articles.
Shootist43
I certainly hope so , too . He is the first person to inspire both Major Poton Khan Sir and I to commence putting our adventures to pen and paper , on AH forums .
Now , people like Enayet and Riaz are considering “ jumping in “ to AH forums , as well .
 
Panther shooter, that was another captivating story. Please do lean on Enayet to join AH and post his own articles. No doubt, they will be well received. As you so aptly pointed out "luck plays a very important part in a hunter's success" whether he or she is experienced or not.
 
Great story. Enayet Really should join AH, Especially since he has been to Africa. Good thing he was prepared for that charge. Certainly could of gone badly for him. Looking forward to more stories of years gone by. Thanks for sharing.
Bruce
 
You guys from that culture and that part of the world write with a style of truth that is refreshing and seems somewhat rare in our modern world. I much enjoy all your stories and it is appreciated- thanks for sharing!
 

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