Maneaters and Marauders

by John "Pondoro" Taylor

Maneaters and Marauders is the culmination of all the dangerous big-game Taylor met during his 35 years as an ivory hunter. During that time, while living in Nyasaland and Mozambique, Taylor was called upon many times with a SOS from the natives to dispatch a man-eating cat or a rogue pachyderm. In one instance Taylor dispatched, in the time span of a few weeks, a pride of 11 lions that had terrorized an entire district. In addition there are the bad-actor buffalo and elephants that raided native crops or trampled a hapless individual.

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1959

About the author

John Howard "Pondoro" Taylor was a big-game hunter and ivory poacher of Irish descent. Born in Dublin as the son of a surgeon he developed an urge to go to Africa and become a professional hunter. Taylor mainly hunted for his own account and had little interest in guiding clients. His parents paid for his passage to Cape Town. In Africa he experimented extensively with different types of rifles and calibers which made him an expert in big game rifles. He is credited with developing the Taylor KO Factor, and authored several books.

Taylor's personal life in later years was one of misfortune. As an alleged homosexual, Taylor was persecuted in Africa in his latter years there and was eventually forced by local authorities to leave Africa. However, it was almost surely Pondoro's unflinching support for, and always standing up for, the black man—not any supposed sexual deviancy—that caused him to be asked to leave Africa. Taking into account his vast experience as a hunter, as well as his expertise with rifles, Taylor should have had no trouble finding a well paying job as a representative of one of the high end gunmakers in London. However, whispers alluding to Taylor's past in Africa followed him to England, and he found little work available. Taylor's last years were spent in poverty

John Taylor died in 1969 in London.

Reviews

[Craig Schlossin · Rating 5 out of 5]

His books and stories are first rate.

[Andy Herzfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Taylor was there and did that all over Africa. He was one of the foremost big game hunters of his time and considered by many old African hands as expert in big game and all things that go bang. This is an interesting well written book that won't waste your time.

[Anand Ganapathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book on hunting Africa's dangerous animals ; man eating lions, leopards & crocodiles, crop-raiding elephants and buffalo. John 'pondoro' Taylor 's style of writing is good though I liked Jim Corbett better. Corbett describes the jungles, people, conservation of animals etc whereas Taylor only focusses on the hunts ( Taylor was an ivory poacher too though he clarifies that he killed some elephants for ivory to account for the expenses incurred by him on ammunition and paying his staff ).

[Klaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Taylor's best book, but still very interesting.