The Marauder Of Dublar Chor

Professor Mawla

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Tonight ; I am going to relate an account on AH forums , of the time when I was assigned to hunt down the marauder of Dublar Chor in 1977 . This was a marauding Royal Bengal tiger which had devoured upwards of 24 local villagers , in the Dublar Chor forest range of the Sundarban mangrove forests .

Before I begin , I would like to give the customary prologue . I own exclusive rights to each and every single photograph which is being used in this article ( several of which have featured in my book “ Jokhon Shikari Chilam “ when I had originally published the first edition in 1994 ) and thus none of the photographs used in this article may be reproduced without my permission .
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The Author With The Hide Of The Marauder Of Dublar Chor . 2020
 
It was November 20 , of 1977 . Work at the tea estates was going pleasantly . There was enough construction work for my company to keep ourselves preoccupied and well paid , but not so much as to keep us stressed . I had recently partaken in the completion of an outhouse in one of the tea estates situated at Sri Mangal ( located in the northeastern tip of the country ) and it did not look as if our company would be involved in any new projects for the rest of the month . This gave me some free time time for indulging myself in some leisure activities . I decided to spend a few days in Dacca ( the capital city ) and do some shopping .


I had arrived at Dacca at around 5:30 PM in my old Ford pickup truck , and took up a room for three days at the Purbani hotel . After leaving all of my luggage ( just one suitcase ) in my room , I went off to tour the city and purchase some new things which would benefit me . I first went to my tailor ( whose shop was located right outside Purbani hotel ) and had three new check cotton poplin dress shirts made for me ( in light blue , light green and light pink ) with my usual preferred features : Single button cuffs , a breast pocket and hidden button down collars . I also had two new cream woolen flannel dress trousers made for me with my usual preferred features : Four pockets , brace buttons , double forward pleats and cuffs .


After that , It was off to one of the local arms shops - Ahmed Hossain Arms Co . Here , I purchased four 25 round boxes of 12 bore ( 2 3/4 inch ) Eley Alphamax number 4 birdshot shells and four boxes of Eley Rifle Club 40 grain solid lead factory loads in .22 Long Rifle calibre . Back in those days , this was just about the only ammunition which one could find in any of the arms shops in Bangladesh . Then , it was a trip to the electronics shop where I wanted to purchase a VCR ( video cassette recorder ) . Watching films was a rather favorite nocturnal pastime of mine ( it still is ) and thus I bought a VCR so that I could record my favorite films on it , when they would play on the television .


With everything purchased , I returned to Purbani hotel at around 9:00 PM and dined at the cafe on the ground floor of the hotel . Purbani hotel used to serve the best deep fried chicken cutlets and mashed potatoes in all of Dacca city ( they still do ) and thus , this was what I naturally dined on . I completed my dinner with a cold tin of Heineken beer and spent the next two hours watching the television at the hotel’s common lounge . The news was going on , and one very particular segment interested me .


There was a marauding Royal Bengal tiger at large , in the Dublar Chor forest range of the Sundarban mangrove forests . So far , it had fatally mangled 24 local villagers in the last month and a half . The Sundarban Forest Department had declared the animal to be a menace which must be destroyed , and were offering a bounty of 800 Taka to any local licensed arms owners who would successfully manage to dispose of the creature .


I weighed in my options . I could either spend the rest of the month in Dacca city , shopping at different places ( even though I had already purchased what I was in need of ) and eating at different restaurants . Or I could go to the Sundarban mangrove forests and try my hand at disposing of the marauder . If I succeeded , then I would be pocketing 800 Taka which used to be a great deal of money back in the 1970s . After I would get the job done , I could probably shoot a nice Axis deer and bring back some delicious venison for my larder . Besides ; I enjoy(ed) hunting far more than I enjoyed shopping , eating at restaurants , watching films or doing anything else for that matter . Thus , I had made up my mind .


The very next morning , I drove my old Ford pickup truck back to Sylhet from Dacca . I arrived at my apartment by around 5:45 PM and kept my VCR there , alongside the Eley Rifle Club .22 Long Rifle . Unlocking my closet , I retrieved my Flaig’s Enfield Model 1917 action custom .458 Winchester Magnum . Then , I unlocked my airtight gun safe and retrieved a yellow 20 round box of Winchester Super Speed 510 grain soft nosed factory loads . The box of shells was fairly old , because Winchester had ceased using the yellow box by 1972 ( at the time ; I possessed two such yellow boxes of soft nosed factory loads and one white box of Winchester Super X 500 grain round nosed cupronickel jacketed solid factory loads , which was produced sometime after 1975 ) . However , the box was unopened and I had kept all the contents of my gun safe completely fresh by using a substantial amount of silica gel ( which aided in keeping out the moisture and prevented my .458 Winchester Magnum ammunition from getting exposed to the elements ) .


I packed my .458 Winchester Magnum and my box of soft nosed ammunition into the back of my Ford pickup truck . My Laurona 12 bore sidelock ejector double barreled side by side shotgun was already in the back of the truck , alongside the boxes of Eley Alphamax 2 3/4 inch number 4 birdshot shells and four rounds of Eley Alphamax 2 3/4 inch LG shells ( with each containing eight antimony hardened lead slugs of .36 calibre ) . I also packed a spare set of clothes and toiletries . Using a piece of bailing wire , I attached a six cell torchlight to the fore end of my .458 Winchester Magnum . Using another piece of bailing wire , I secured another six cell torchlight to the fore end of my Laurona 12 bore sidelock ejector . I slept at my apartment that night , intent on setting off to the Sundarban mangrove forests early in the morning .

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Pre 1972 Box Of Winchester Super Speed 510 grain Soft Nosed Factory Loads For The .458 Winchester Magnum
 
Next day , I set off at around 7:15 AM in the morning in my old Ford pickup truck . By roughly 4:30 PM , I had arrived at the Khulna division ( located in the southwestern corner of the country ) . From there , it did not take me long to reach the Dublar Chor forest range of the Sundarban mangrove forests .


Once I had arrived there , I made my way to the head office of the Dublar Chor Forest Guards . Parking my old Ford pickup truck at the driveway , I went inside to meet the senior Forest Guard . Once I met the gentleman , I told him why I had arrived and I requested an LOA ( Letter Of Authorization ) from him . This letter was evidence that I was authorized to hunt down the marauding Royal Bengal tiger which was operating in the Dublar Chor forest range . I also asked the senior Forest Guard if I could enlist the assistance of a Garo tribesman for aiding me in tracking the marauder . The gentleman told me that a Garo tracker would arrive at the head office to aid me , by morning . He also handed me a map of the entire Dublar Chor wireless radio , so that I could communicate with the head office whenever necessary .


I ate my dinner at the mess hall of the head office of the Dublar Chor Forest Guards : A plate of mutton boti kebab and crispy paratha flatbreads . I completed the meal with a tin of sprite and then went to sleep in the store room of the head office . The Forest Guards were most courteous and accommodating because they provided me with a mattress , blanket and pillow for the night . The following day , I showered and shaved in the bathroom of the head office , before making my way outside . It was here that I would meet my Garo tracker .


His name was Vivuti and he was about 70 years old . A frail and hunch backed elderly man with a bald head and a scraggly white beard . His teeth ( perhaps he had nine or ten ) were all stained black due to years of chewing betel nut and he wore a tattered white T shirt along with a pair of blue shorts . Like most Garo tribesmen , his feet were covered with the traditional rubber sandal . He did not look like much , but I knew that most Garo tribesmen were immensely talented trackers whose appearances could be quite deceiving . Garo tribesmen do not shake hands but rather show their respect to others , with a long bow . Vivuti gave me the traditional bow and I paid my respects by bowing , as well .


I went to my Ford pickup truck and opened the trunk . I recovered my .458 Winchester Magnum , the box of Winchester Super Speed 510 grain soft nosed factory loads , my Laurona 12 bore sidelock ejector and the four Eley Alphamax LG shells . I loaded three rounds into the magazine of my .458 Winchester Magnum and I loaded two Eley Alphamax LG shells into the breech of my Laurona 12 bore sidelock ejector . I put three .458 Winchester Magnum soft nosed rounds in each of the two pockets of my sleeveless hunting jacket . I handed Vivuti my Laurona 12 bore sidelock ejector and the two extra Eley Alphamax LG shells . I asked him if he had ever fired a gun , to which he replied that he had once been a Sepoy in the army of British India ( prior to India achieving independence in 1947 ) . Satisfied with his answer , we both began our long day .


As I have mentioned in several of my previous writings , dinghy boats are the only feasible method of traveling through the thousands of canals which run through the Sundarban mangrove forests . For this reason , the Dublar Chor Forest Guards had provided with with a forest department issued dinghy boat . Our boatman was a pleasant gentleman man in his early forties , by the name of Mainur . It was Mainur’s duty to ferry Vivuti and myself all over the Dublar Chor forest range .
 
We spent the entire day traveling to the various sites where the marauder had been claiming it’s victims . It was essential that we be able to pinpoint the location of all of these “ kill sites “ , so that we were able to triangulate the general ( and if possible , specific ) area where the marauding Royal Bengal tiger was operating . As I have mentioned in several of my previous writings , Royal Bengal tigers are largely territorial creatures . Once they find a region where food is effortless to come by , then they shall continually frequent that region until either all of the food in that region is exhausted or the Royal Bengal tiger dies . In the case of a marauding Royal Bengal tiger , it’s food is ( naturally ) the human being . For this reason , a marauder shall always choose a particularly favorite village or town and keep frequenting it for food , until there are either no human beings remaining in the village or the marauding Royal Bengal tiger dies .


By 7:00 PM , we had managed to scout all of the areas where the marauder had been claiming its victims . As we were visiting every area , I was marking down the location on the map which the senior Forest Guard had provided me . Vivuti was absolutely relentless in his mission to track the pug marks of the marauding Royal Bengal tiger . At every location , he thoroughly checked the ground for tracks and also whiffed into the air . At one particular location , he finally told me “ Anayeth Sahib , manushkheko ei dik diye shob shomoy cholachol kore “ ( Anayeth Sir , the marauder travels through this region every day ) .


I curiously asked Vivuti how he had arrived at this conclusion . He taught me a very vital lesson , which I would remember to this very day . Male Royal Bengal tigers always urinate into the bushes , in order to mark their territory. The smell is quite pungent and akin to that of a rodent’s nest . He also told me that the pug marks of the marauding Royal Bengal tiger were going in all directions , in this area . In other words , the tracks did not lead to any particular direction but were rather indicative of the fact that the marauder would regularly pass through this area . We had found the lair of the marauding Royal Bengal tiger . I instructed Mainur to take the Dinghy boat further down the canal and to sleep in the dinghy for the night . As soon as he would hear gunfire , he was to take the dinghy and make his way back to where Vivuti and I was .


I have mentioned in several of my previous writings that Garo tribesmen can imitate the mating calls of Royal Bengal tigresses , in order to lure male Royal Bengal tigers towards them . Vivuti was no different , in this regard . I instructed him to begin replicating Royal Bengal tigress mating calls , while I looked for a suitable place where both of us could hide . There were no trees in this particular area which were strong enough to support human weight . Thus , we had to resort to spending the night on the ground level .


I found a small clearing among some bushes and sat down behind them , in an attempt to conceal myself as well as possible . Vivuti found a similar hiding spot amongst some bushes roughly 15 yards away from me . In my hands , was my .458 Winchester Magnum . In Vivuti‘ hands , was my Laurona 12 bore sidelock ejector . The understanding was that Vivuti would only fire , if I was unable to take down the marauder with the three rounds in my .458 Winchester Magnum’s magazine . I took off the safety catch on my .458 Winchester Magnum , while Vivuti similarly switched off the safety on my Laurona 12 bore sidelock ejector . Our long night of waiting had begun , with Vivuti continuously imitating the mating calls of a Royal Bengal tigress .
 
At around 2:45 AM , both Vivuti and I could hear the fairly loud splashing sounds of some heavy creature swimming through the canal . The splashing sounds were increasingly getting louder and louder , indicating that the animal ( whatever it was ) was coming towards our direction . Both Vivuti and I saw the marauder arise from the canal ; it’s body dripping wet with water . It was a very huge and heavy looking Royal Bengal tiger , nearly rivaling the size of the marauder which I had shot in Maulvi Bazaar in 1976 .


Both Vivuti and I exchanged glances at each other . I silently raised my .458 Winchester Magnum up to my shoulder and watched Vivuti do the same with my Laurona 12 bore sidelock ejector . The Royal Bengal tiger slowly walked towards our general direction , completely oblivious to our presence . Curiously shifting it’s head from side to side , the animal was looking for the Royal Bengal tigress which had been making all those mating calls . Taking aim at the slowly approaching marauder’s fore head , I placed one finger on the button of the six cell torchlight . The marauding Royal Bengal tiger was roughly ten yards away from me , when I pressed the button . What happened next , was instantaneous .


The beam from the six cell torchlight illuminated the head of the marauder and the Royal Bengal tiger was startled to suddenly have such a bright light being shone into it’s eyes . I squeezed the trigger of my .458 Winchester Magnum and a loud gunshot echoed through the entire Dublar Chor forest range , as the 510 grain Winchester Super Speed soft nosed bullet ( being propelled at a velocity of 2130 feet per second ) buried itself into the region between the two eyes of the animal ( this particular spot is called the “ T-Zone “ ) . The Royal Bengal tiger did not even react to the gunshot with the slightest of sounds . It simply slumped to the ground ; it’s hind legs giving out at first .


Cycling the bolt of my .458 Winchester Magnum to chamber a fresh round , I cautiously approached the fallen animal with Vivuti close behind me . I poked it’s left eye with the 25 inch Douglas Premium barrel of my rifle , and the Royal Bengal tiger did not even remotely move a muscle . True enough ; the marauder of Dublar Chor was no more .

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.458 Winchester Magnum Owned By The Author
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Laurona 12 Bore Sidelock Ejector Owned By The Author
 
You guys must have read Jim Corbett, how you all attach flashlights to your rifles. Jim did this with the Rudrapryag leopard, and it’s the first time I can think of, that it has been recorded.
What a grand trophy that skin makes.
 
Professor,

What a great adventure it must have been. And an amazing experience.

The skin Trophy is an absolute bonus and very beautiful!

Enjoy the Hunt and shoot straight
 
True to his words , Mainur arrived at our location to pick up Vivuti and I as soon as he had heard the gunshot . The three of us struggled to get the heavy carcass of the marauding Royal Bengal tiger to the dinghy boat , but nevertheless we eventually succeeded . From there , it did not take us long to reach the head office of the Dublar Chor Forest Guards .

An autopsy of the marauding Royal Bengal tiger , made it crystal clear why it had turned to feeding on human beings . He was a massive fully mature male , weighing exactly 272 kilograms . From snout to tail , he measured ten feet and six inches and was approximately nine years old . There was a healed wound in his paunch . It was a partially mushroomed 244 grain .315 calibre soft nosed bullet . I recognized the calibre , right away . It was fired from an Indian Ordinance Factories .315 calibre bolt action rifle . In other words , this must have been the work of an Indian poacher . Perhaps , the poacher had wounded the Royal Bengal tiger in the corner of the Sundarban mangrove forests which had fallen within India’s territory . Perhaps , the poacher had sneaked into the Bangladeshi part of the Sundarban mangrove forests and attempted to take down this Royal Bengal tiger ; right under our noses . Regardless , it was the actions of the Indian poacher which directly played a hand in this animal claiming 24 human lives . As I have mentioned in several of my previous writings , an injured Royal Bengal tiger turns to human beings for food because human beings are ( typically ) far easier to hunt down than Axis deer or wild boars ( the natural diet of the Royal Bengal tiger ) .

The Dublar Chor Forest Guards were extremely content with the relatively swift manner in which the marauding Royal Bengal tiger had been disposed of . The senior Forest Guard rewarded me , with the promised 800 Taka and I was also allowed to retain the hide of the marauder . I shared 400 Taka with Vivuti and also let him have the much sought after testicles of the marauding Royal Bengal tiger ( which as I have mentioned in several of my previous writings , the Garo tribesmen consider to be an aphrodisiac ) . Vivuti gratefully told me that he would give the Royal Bengal tiger’s testicles to his eldest son , who had just recently gotten married .

The following day , I took permission from the senior Forest Guard to let me shoot an Axis stag for the larder . The gentleman courteously gave me the permission , at once . Later during the day , I set off with Vivuti and Mainur ( in Mainur’s dinghy boat ) to go and look for a herd of Axis deer . While traveling downriver , we spotted an entire herd of these animals drinking the water at the edge of one of the larger canals . This is something which the Axis deer inhibiting the Sundarban mangrove forests always do . At roughly 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM everyday , they always come down in herds to drink water at the edge of the riverbanks .

I had both my .458 Winchester Magnum and my Laurona 12 bore sidelock ejector in the dinghy boat , at my disposal . I decided to try my hand at taking down one of the Axis stags , with my .458 Winchester Magnum . Raising the rifle to my left shoulder , I took off the safety catch and took aim at the neck of the largest Axis stag which I could get my sights on . Squeezing the trigger , I gripped the .458 Winchester Magnum tightly as the recoil kicked the butt of the rifle against my shoulder . A loud gunshot echoed through the entire Dublar Chor forest range , as the 510 grain Winchester Super Speed soft nosed bullet shattered the neck of the Axis stag . The large animal dropped to the ground at once ; dead on the spot . As the rest of the herd of Axis deer dispersed , I sent Vivuti onto the river banks in order to recover the carcass of the freshly shot Axis stag . This , he duly did and all three of us soon returned to the head office of the Dublar Chor Forest Guards .

I gave one leg of venison to Vivuti and one leg of venison to Mainur . I gave one leg of venison to the Dublar Chor Forest Guards and kept the final leg of venison for myself , to take back to Sylhet . We all decided to prepare the rib chops , tenderloins , liver and kidneys at the kitchen of the head office for immediate consumption . That night , we ( myself , Vivuti , Mainur and the Dublar Chor Forest Guards ) were all able to enjoy the feast of fresh venison at the mess hall . The chef who was working for the Dublar Chor Forest Guards , had a very special method of preparing Axis stag venison . At first , he boiled all of the venison in an iron pot . After that , he seared it on a very hot pan with a generous amount of canned butter . A healthy seasoning of fine grain salt , freshly ground black pepper and chopped fried onions added an unrivaled taste to the finished product . We enjoyed our pan seared venison with luchis ( a traditional Bengali small savory pastry , which is made from semolina flour and fried until very crispy ) and fried potatoes . A few bottles of local “ Hunter “ brand beer polished off this delicious meal .

The following morning , I set off to Dacca city in my old Ford pickup truck . I intended to make a speedy pit stop at my tailor’s shop , so that I could pick up my newly ordered check cotton poplin dress shirts and cream woolen flannel dress trousers . After that , I intended to return to Sylhet .

THE END
 
You guys must have read Jim Corbett, how you all attach flashlights to your rifles. Jim did this with the Rudrapryag leopard, and it’s the first time I can think of, that it has been recorded.
What a grand trophy that skin makes.
@Wyatt Smith
That is correct . Jim Corbett’s books used to be a part of our school syllabus , during the fourth grade . Most Bengali people of my generation , are quite well acquired with the exploits of Mr. Corbett .
 
A great read Professor. Without a way to remotely turn on the flashlight, I'm always amazed at how quickly you could aim and fire your rifle.
@Shootist43
Thank you very much . It becomes quite straightforward to do , with practice . The six cell torchlight stays attached to the fore end of your weapon ( just forward of where one grips the fore end ) . A flick of the finger , is able to instantly switch on the flashlight .
 
Thank you for sharing, enjoyed the read!
 
Another great read. I love the respect you show your trackers and how you share the spoils of the deer with them and the wardens. Very classy!

You obviously love your 458, I can tell every time you write about it. That is just awesome.

Thanks again for the stories , they are amazing.


Craig
 
Another great read. I love the respect you show your trackers and how you share the spoils of the deer with them and the wardens. Very classy!

You obviously love your 458, I can tell every time you write about it. That is just awesome.

Thanks again for the stories , they are amazing.


Craig
@machinistbutler
Thank you very much . I firmly believe that the gentleman who pulls the trigger is only partly responsible for a successful hunt . The real credit goes to one’s fearless beaters , trackers and every person who strives to make the hunt go as smoothly as possible .

And yes , I am immensely fond of my .458 Winchester Magnum . I have been owning and using it now , for the last 43 years and I never intend to part with it .
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Built by Flaig’s in Millvale, Pennsylvania on a Winchester Enfield Model 1917 action . Military floor plate release , 25 inch Douglas Premium barrel and contoured French walnut stock .
 
Absolutely magnificent account , Anayeth . I truly miss Vivuti . I know that he passed away in 1980 ... But would you happen to remember how the noble Garo tracker had passed on to the happy hunting grounds ?
@Major Khan Sir
He unfortunately developed throat cancer , due to years of chewing betel nut . I attended his funeral , when his family had cremated him .
 

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