nterestingly, man and animal kill each other for many a reason.  Fear and food are the most known.  The Maharajas of this sacred land killed animals for sport shots and for fame.  The British officers as colony makers aped these royals just to live that life. Unfortunately, most of the species including elephants were their victims.

The Panther (Fetis Pardus) was found in abundance in every part of Southern India. Very few animal species, have so wide a range.  In the Western Ghats in Southern India, the Panther was a terrible foe not only to man but also to the ibex.  A large number was shot every year, chiefly by native Shikaris.  As early as 1914, over 700 skins were presented for reward at the Government Treasury.  They normally lie on the hillside overlooking a main road in full view of the passer by and care nothing for the presence of man. They stroll through a village at night snatching a dog or a goat from the pen.  Panthers appear careless freaks and bravely revisit human settlements and hunter camps and most often get killed.

Most British cantonments remembered Gordon Hadfield when they saw a panther.  A savvy hunter in the late 1800s living in Southern India working for the presidency.  He was known as the “Full Time” passionate hunter.  He is said to know the jungles better than the Fort or the Presidency.

Jocularly, he was once said to have mentioned that the animals of the open jungles here seem to have more foes than Hadfield himself.  In one of the jungles of the Western Ghats he is said to have spotted a huge dead panther attacked by a porcupine with over five dozen quills on it like spears. Interestingly, Hadfield took the Panther and the Porcupine quills as well.  The rare jewel box that you see here contains the quills that killed the Panther spotted by Hadfield.  The assembly was done in Ceylon, through one ‘Rahm’ family connection.

Inspite of accepting the gift and exhibiting the same here, the owner and the management of  INDeco Hotels  oppose without doubt any form of cruelty especially to animals, birds and insects.