SUBJECT: 4.5/5 WRITING: 4/5 HISTORICAL VALUE: 4.5/5 OVERALL: 4.5/5
“When I have been tempted, as many times I have been, to hurry over a shot or over a decision, the memory of that quiet voice telling me to take my time has restrained me and I have never ceased being grateful to the great soldier who gave me that advice.”
– Jim Corbett, The Hour of the Leopard
Tales of the hills, jungles, and the wild have always appealed to the reader in me, and what better thing in the world than to add history to this delectable mix?
The Himalayas have also had an equal if not greater appeal, which is why Ruskin Bond and his writings, most of which are based in the Himalayan region, have always been one of my guilty pleasures.
In my endeavour to read more such writings from the region, I stumbled upon Jim Corbett’s book The Hour of the Leopard, and having previously read the author’s The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.
But before we delve into the book, let’s talk about the author. Jim Corbett was a prominent British-Indian naturalist, hunter, and conservationist who lived from 1875 to 1955.
He is best known for his remarkable work in the jungles of northern India, where he became renowned for his tracking and hunting skills and his ability to take down several man-eating tigers and leopards.
Corbett’s intimate knowledge of the jungle and its inhabitants, combined with his expertise in tracking, made him one of the most successful hunters of his time. However, Corbett’s legacy goes beyond his hunting prowess.
He became a passionate advocate for the protection of wildlife and the conservation of natural habitats, and his tireless efforts played a crucial role in establishing India’s first national park, which was named after him as the Jim Corbett National Park.
His writings about his experiences in the jungle remain popular and respected even today.
These writings are characterized by vivid descriptions of the natural world and his deep understanding of the animals he encountered, and this is exactly what we readers get to witness in The Hour of the Leopard too.
Approximately 200 pages in length, the book consists of 3 pieces of Jim’s writings about leopards. These three pieces include – My First Leopard which is taken from his book Jungle Lore (published 1953), The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag which was published as a book in 1947, and The Panar Man-Eater which was included in the book The Temple Tiger and More Man-eaters of Kumaon (published 1954).
I know what you must be thinking – that I have already read and reviewed The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag. Well, even though that’s true, I read the book 10 years ago and do not remember much of it, and then it’s always a great idea to go back to books that you know you have enjoyed in the past.
In The Hour of the Leopard, the author begins by introducing us to the idea of man-eating leopards and educating us regarding the difference between a man-eating tiger and a man-eating leopard.
“When a tiger becomes a man-eater it loses all fear of human beings and, as human beings move about more freely in the day than they do at night, it is able to secure its victims during daylight hours and there is no necessity for it to visit their habitations at night.
A leopard, on the other hand, even after it has killed scores of human beings, never loses its fear of man; and, as it is unwilling to face human beings in daylight, it secures its victims when they are moving about at night or by breaking into their houses at night.
Owing to these characteristics of the two animals, namely, that one loses its fear of human beings and kills in the daylight, while the other retains its fear and kills in the dark, man-eating tigers are easier to shoot than man-eating leopards.”
He also informs us why an animal like leopard becomes a man-eater. This happens during times of an epidemic esp. when the natural food of the animal is scarce in supply and when because of the epidemic human bodies are cremated improperly.
Leopards being scavengers find these bodies and over time develop a taste for human flesh.
The below lines sum up this situation with the man-eaters very well.
“Of the two man-eating leopards of Kumaon, which between them killed five hundred and twenty-five human beings, one followed on the heels of a very severe outbreak of cholera, while the other followed the mysterious disease which swept through India in 1918 and was called ‘war fever’.”
Once the reader gets a sufficient idea of the topic at hand, she is then introduced to life in the early 1900s.
This the author does by sharing with us memories of his childhood, his first brush with the rifle, his well-disciplined school life, and the many activities that he did there.
The best part of the book is the keen observations that the author makes use of in his writing and his understanding of not just the beasts, but also their natural environments, the jungles, the town folk, the village folk, etc.
The part which talks specifically of the man-eater is particularly long as that’s one beast who beats the author every time with its cunning and sheer luck.
Just how difficult it was to accomplish the mission of hunting the man-eater of Rudraprayag is known by the multitude of attempts that Mr. Corbett and his companion Mr. Ibbotson made for its hunting.
The beautiful and careful descriptions of the area and the Himalayas are another thing to look forward to. The book is also a treasure for those who love to read about a bygone era and how things used to be 100 years ago.
When Mr. Corbett writes about the land and the people of Uttarakhand (esp. Kumaon) it is with utmost respect for its culture and their ways.
Since the Rudraprayag hunting also coincides with the route of the Kedarnath-Badrinath pilgrim route, there are many anecdotes that relate to such pilgrims, their rituals, sadhus, etc.
The language though not difficult, understandably comes from a bygone era and hence it is rather matter-of-fact.
Overall, the book is a treat for any lover of the jungle, history, wildlife, and the Himalayas.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of The Hour of the Leopard using the link below.
