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The Black Panther of Sivanipalli
The black panther is a color phase of the leopard. India has many more of the black leopards than Africa. A great read.
- GenresAdventureNonfiction
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
54 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Anderson
189 books73 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Kenneth Anderson (1910 – 1974) was an Indian writer and hunter who wrote many books about his adventures in the jungles of South India.
Kenneth Anderson (1910 – 1974) was an Indian writer and hunter who wrote many books about his adventures in the jungles of South India.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 25, 2018
These are stories of times of the Raj when privileged usually (white) people could moonlight as hunters or have hunting game as a hobby. The book speaks of many adventures mostly related to bringing down problematic panthers or leopards, with a couple of stories on tigers, and how the Author went about the same. While he recounts these, he gives snippets of a magical time of lush forests far more widespread than the current meager islands of reserves and national parks. A time when people had a different idea about wildlife and the ideas related to conservation was in infancy.
Though the author is a hunter there are revelations of his true nature to preserve and protect these magnificent beasts and wild places he writes about, which happen to be places nearer to Bangalore.
One can get a sort of measure about how the change in the landscape and the attitudes have come about, which is especially true for those who have worked or traveled in the places he writes about.
In some instances, the writing may be a bit lackadaisical and sometimes too good to be true, but overall it is an enjoyable read.
Though the author is a hunter there are revelations of his true nature to preserve and protect these magnificent beasts and wild places he writes about, which happen to be places nearer to Bangalore.
One can get a sort of measure about how the change in the landscape and the attitudes have come about, which is especially true for those who have worked or traveled in the places he writes about.
In some instances, the writing may be a bit lackadaisical and sometimes too good to be true, but overall it is an enjoyable read.
November 28, 2023
Pretty fascinating to read about a world and time that are pretty much long-gone. Mr. Anderson shows respect for the creatures he hunts (which should appease readers) while at the same time being pragmatic about man-eaters (which appeased me). After a while, many of the stories followed a similar pattern, though not all of them.
My favorite from the collection was “The Killer from Hyderabad”—it was hard to put down, and that adventure was perhaps a more spiritual one for Anderson, as it was more than just bagging a man-eating tiger, but risking his life to help a grief-stricken Chenchu man.
My favorite from the collection was “The Killer from Hyderabad”—it was hard to put down, and that adventure was perhaps a more spiritual one for Anderson, as it was more than just bagging a man-eating tiger, but risking his life to help a grief-stricken Chenchu man.
January 16, 2014
This is a book which will take you through a wild journey under the big trees of South Indian jungles 100 years ago. Mr. Anderson has described the adventures in a super attractive and gripping narrative. Which you will find unmatched with a lot of "so-called" authors. You can smell the fear and beauty of Indian Jungles through his words. Sometimes, even the tiniest sound of stepping over a fallen dry leaf...
April 5, 2021
CONTENTS
The Black Panther of Sivanipalli and Other Adventures of the Indian Jungle (1959, George Allen & Unwin)
'''Introduction'''
Author Kenneth Anderson introduces his third book, the first five chapters being devoted to panthers - he explains his reasons for wanting to write about them.
'''A Panther's Way'''
Anderson discusses the differences in habit of the panther and the tiger, and the methods adopted for tracking them.
'''Man-Eating Panther of the Yellagiri Hills'''
A cattle lifting panther turns man-eater when wounded by a local man's gun shot and Kenneth Anderson heads to the Yellagiri Hills to investigate. Over the course of many weeks he returns to the Yellagiri Hills and sits up over goat and donkey baits awaiting the time he can make a successful shot. On a few occasions the panther charges at Anderson in his tree, and on his final charge Anderson successfully gets a kill shot in.
'''Old Munuswamy & The Panther of Magadi'''
A local shikari guide, Munuswamy (who earns his living by exploiting panther hunters) attempted to gain local notoriety by shooting a cattle lifting panther himself. Failing to kill the animal, the wounded panther turns to attacking humans. The local authorities find out who is responsible for wounding the panther and Munuswamy is given four days to shoot the panther or face jail. Munuswamy's friend Kenneth Anderson arrives to help, and they head to a cave which they believe to be the panther's home.
'''The Black Panther of Sivanipalli'''
Anderson heads to Sivanipalli on the trail of a jet black panther which has been killing local cattle. Locating the panther soon enough, Anderson struggles to make a clean shot in the dark due to the panther's fur being black. The next day Anderson follows the trail of the wounded black panther to the mouth of a cave, but in firing a further shot a bee hive opens up and Anderson is attacked by a swarm of bees.
'''Snakes and Other Jungle Creatures'''
Anderson discusses his experiences and knowledge of various Indian wildlife, from Elephants and Wild Boar to the King Cobra and Russell's Viper.
'''The Killer From Hyderabad'''
A man-eating tiger starts killing along the railway line in Chelama and over the course of three and a half years is responsible for over eighty human deaths. Anderson arrives on the scene and discovers a pattern in the kill sites, suggesting a four month cycle that the man-eater uses in passing through different locales. After sitting up over baits for many nights, Anderson finally shoots a large tiger. Anderson has his doubts that this is the man-eater, but the locals are convinced enough to drop their guard and return to normal. The man-eater strikes again, killing the wife of local man, Bala who had also lost his father to the same man-eater. Anderson convinces the distraught man to leave his wifes body out during the night, for him to sit over and await the man-eater to return and finish it's meal. The only tree for Anderson to sit in, is inside the hollow of an old rotten tree. When the tiger arrives Anderson is unable to gain a neat killing position and has to allow the tiger to eat the body of Bala's wife whilst he tries to gain a better position. Anderson manages to get some shots off, but only manages to wound the tiger. The next day he follows the tiger's blood trail, but when the trail ran out he never found any further sign of the tiger. Anderson returned to his home and months later human kills were still reported, and he never found out if it was the same tiger or not.
'''The Big Bull Bison of Gedesal'''
Anderson tells the tale of a big bull bison with a deformed, inwards pointing horn. He recounts his many encounters with the bull, ending in the scene of a huge fight the bison had with a tiger.
'''The Maned Tiger of Chordi'''
A tiger with an outstanding ruff of hair around his neck turns man-eater, and Anderson recounts his experiences tracking the killer over a period of 5 years.
'''The Maneater of Pegepalyam'''
Anderson visits Pegepalyam where he makes the connection of a reported man-eater to be the same Tiger who started as just a mauler in his earlier story, 'The Mauler of Rajnagara' (published in his previous book 'Maneaters and Jungle Killers'). Anderson again fails to kill the man-eater, though the tale concludes in his fourth book ('The Call of the Man Eater') in the story, 'From Mauler to Man-Eater'.
The Black Panther of Sivanipalli and Other Adventures of the Indian Jungle (1959, George Allen & Unwin)
'''Introduction'''
Author Kenneth Anderson introduces his third book, the first five chapters being devoted to panthers - he explains his reasons for wanting to write about them.
'''A Panther's Way'''
Anderson discusses the differences in habit of the panther and the tiger, and the methods adopted for tracking them.
'''Man-Eating Panther of the Yellagiri Hills'''
A cattle lifting panther turns man-eater when wounded by a local man's gun shot and Kenneth Anderson heads to the Yellagiri Hills to investigate. Over the course of many weeks he returns to the Yellagiri Hills and sits up over goat and donkey baits awaiting the time he can make a successful shot. On a few occasions the panther charges at Anderson in his tree, and on his final charge Anderson successfully gets a kill shot in.
'''Old Munuswamy & The Panther of Magadi'''
A local shikari guide, Munuswamy (who earns his living by exploiting panther hunters) attempted to gain local notoriety by shooting a cattle lifting panther himself. Failing to kill the animal, the wounded panther turns to attacking humans. The local authorities find out who is responsible for wounding the panther and Munuswamy is given four days to shoot the panther or face jail. Munuswamy's friend Kenneth Anderson arrives to help, and they head to a cave which they believe to be the panther's home.
'''The Black Panther of Sivanipalli'''
Anderson heads to Sivanipalli on the trail of a jet black panther which has been killing local cattle. Locating the panther soon enough, Anderson struggles to make a clean shot in the dark due to the panther's fur being black. The next day Anderson follows the trail of the wounded black panther to the mouth of a cave, but in firing a further shot a bee hive opens up and Anderson is attacked by a swarm of bees.
'''Snakes and Other Jungle Creatures'''
Anderson discusses his experiences and knowledge of various Indian wildlife, from Elephants and Wild Boar to the King Cobra and Russell's Viper.
'''The Killer From Hyderabad'''
A man-eating tiger starts killing along the railway line in Chelama and over the course of three and a half years is responsible for over eighty human deaths. Anderson arrives on the scene and discovers a pattern in the kill sites, suggesting a four month cycle that the man-eater uses in passing through different locales. After sitting up over baits for many nights, Anderson finally shoots a large tiger. Anderson has his doubts that this is the man-eater, but the locals are convinced enough to drop their guard and return to normal. The man-eater strikes again, killing the wife of local man, Bala who had also lost his father to the same man-eater. Anderson convinces the distraught man to leave his wifes body out during the night, for him to sit over and await the man-eater to return and finish it's meal. The only tree for Anderson to sit in, is inside the hollow of an old rotten tree. When the tiger arrives Anderson is unable to gain a neat killing position and has to allow the tiger to eat the body of Bala's wife whilst he tries to gain a better position. Anderson manages to get some shots off, but only manages to wound the tiger. The next day he follows the tiger's blood trail, but when the trail ran out he never found any further sign of the tiger. Anderson returned to his home and months later human kills were still reported, and he never found out if it was the same tiger or not.
'''The Big Bull Bison of Gedesal'''
Anderson tells the tale of a big bull bison with a deformed, inwards pointing horn. He recounts his many encounters with the bull, ending in the scene of a huge fight the bison had with a tiger.
'''The Maned Tiger of Chordi'''
A tiger with an outstanding ruff of hair around his neck turns man-eater, and Anderson recounts his experiences tracking the killer over a period of 5 years.
'''The Maneater of Pegepalyam'''
Anderson visits Pegepalyam where he makes the connection of a reported man-eater to be the same Tiger who started as just a mauler in his earlier story, 'The Mauler of Rajnagara' (published in his previous book 'Maneaters and Jungle Killers'). Anderson again fails to kill the man-eater, though the tale concludes in his fourth book ('The Call of the Man Eater') in the story, 'From Mauler to Man-Eater'.
October 30, 2023
I got this book in the amazing library of FRI, Dehradun so a perfect setting for the story :)
Black Panther of Sivanipalli and Other Adventures of the Indian Jungle is the famous Kenneth Anderson’s tale of his tracking down the marauding tigers and leopards in the jungles of Mysore, Madras, Andhra Pradesh and Northern Malabar in the first half of the 20th century.
The author lived in Bangalore gained such a reputation in southern India as a fearless slayer of man eaters, and as a result, whenever a tiger or leopard turned nasty and considered as a real threat then the authorties used to ask his help.
He explains the incidents in a wonderfully detailed way which kept me glued till the end :)
Black Panther of Sivanipalli and Other Adventures of the Indian Jungle is the famous Kenneth Anderson’s tale of his tracking down the marauding tigers and leopards in the jungles of Mysore, Madras, Andhra Pradesh and Northern Malabar in the first half of the 20th century.
The author lived in Bangalore gained such a reputation in southern India as a fearless slayer of man eaters, and as a result, whenever a tiger or leopard turned nasty and considered as a real threat then the authorties used to ask his help.
He explains the incidents in a wonderfully detailed way which kept me glued till the end :)
December 29, 2023
A very interesting read for a wildlife enthusiast
First book that I read that was by Kenneth Anderson. A very satisfying and interested owing to the enthusiasm and curiosity I have about wildlife. There were some typos in the kindle version though. I need to find more books by him.
First book that I read that was by Kenneth Anderson. A very satisfying and interested owing to the enthusiasm and curiosity I have about wildlife. There were some typos in the kindle version though. I need to find more books by him.
December 31, 2024
Always love his raw yet ‘keeping -you-on-the-edge’ style. Gives first had information on the tracking and behaviours of wildlife especially the tiger in a very elaborate manner. He also brings the pristine state of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during the early 50s..A must read for all wildlife enthusiasts
May 23, 2021
Best book on cornivora
I loved it. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I congratulate and thank him for such a beautiful story. You all must read.
I loved it. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I congratulate and thank him for such a beautiful story. You all must read.
August 29, 2023
Excellent read, authors exploits and some interesting information. Different covers and publishers versions of the book I have an original.
July 12, 2024
Quite a edge of the seat sort of reading.
Read
September 13, 2024Excellent
August 16, 2025
Stark amazement. What am I even doing in this bed? When will I be able go see all of it?
January 8, 2018
Good book
Similar narratives. Often see touch of Jim Corbett anecdotes may be coincidental. Skimming through is recommended. Same stories covered in Omnibus.
Similar narratives. Often see touch of Jim Corbett anecdotes may be coincidental. Skimming through is recommended. Same stories covered in Omnibus.
March 29, 2013
This is the second of these maneater type of book that I've read, the first being Jim Corbett's Man-eaters of Kumaon. I found this book paled in comparison compared to Corbett's masterpiece.
Perhaps these two books served different purposes. Kenneth Anderson's book served as an adventure story, while Maneaters of Kumaon was both an adventure and a thriller. Anderson's story lacked the emotional impact of a good maneater story, because Anderson tends to fly over the devastation the maneaters caused, focusing mainly on the detail of the jungle life and the fauna, so the book read like a travel account. Because of this very reason, when a maneater is killed, you don't feel satisfying, not because I'm an animal hater, but I want to be entertained.
What illustrated my point is that the first half of the book dealt with panthers that hunted cattles more than human, and the human killing parts are usually skimmed over by Anderson. The good part came when he had to kill a man-eating tiger, and let me just say the story had a very unsatisfying ending.
I'm sure if you are fan of adventure story, you'll like this book. But as for me, I give this book a 6/10.
Perhaps these two books served different purposes. Kenneth Anderson's book served as an adventure story, while Maneaters of Kumaon was both an adventure and a thriller. Anderson's story lacked the emotional impact of a good maneater story, because Anderson tends to fly over the devastation the maneaters caused, focusing mainly on the detail of the jungle life and the fauna, so the book read like a travel account. Because of this very reason, when a maneater is killed, you don't feel satisfying, not because I'm an animal hater, but I want to be entertained.
What illustrated my point is that the first half of the book dealt with panthers that hunted cattles more than human, and the human killing parts are usually skimmed over by Anderson. The good part came when he had to kill a man-eating tiger, and let me just say the story had a very unsatisfying ending.
I'm sure if you are fan of adventure story, you'll like this book. But as for me, I give this book a 6/10.
July 8, 2014
The book is good and that's all. I expected a lot out of this after my experience with other books like "Jungles long ago" and "This is the Jungle." This book after all the the time is some so so kind. Two stories including the title story "The Black Panther of Shivanipally" is no doubt is excellent writings on hunting and forests, the rest however are not to the level expected.
December 9, 2013
Gripping stories of Kenneth's exploits against man-eating cats in South-Indian jungles.
October 11, 2015
Увлекательнейшая книга для всех возрастов. Можно даже ее рассматривать как приложение к пятитомной тигрологии Джима Корбетта.
January 11, 2016
Loved this book! Kept my attention and easy to get addicted to (if you're interested in this sort of stuff).
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews