Interview with Dane Huckelbridge, the author of the new book: “No Beast So Fierce: The Terrifying True Story of the Champawat Tiger, the Deadliest Animal in History.” Interview was conducted by Joseph Jordania, a member of the “Jim Corbett International Research Group.” JJ.: Dane, Thank you for agreeing on the interview. I guess several of these questions will be answered when we, Corbett fans, read your book, but we hope you can still answer these questions. First of all, Dane, please introduce yourself in a few words, and tell us about your other books. DH.:My pleasure! Thank you for having me. As for myself, I’m an American writer currently living in Paris, France, although I lived in New York for years before that. “No Beast So Fierce” is my fourth book, I’ve written two previous historical books and one novel. JJ.: When and why you decided to write a boot about Champawat man-eater? DH.: It’s funny, I think the origins of the project go back to an idea I had to write a book about apex predators and man-eaters in general. But that would have been a much broader study, with each chapter dedicated to a different species. Ultimately, however, the consensus from my publisher was that the idea was a bit too broad. But several years later, my editor, who remembered my interest in the topic, approached me about doing a book that only dealt with the Champawat Tiger. I started looking into the story, and realized with all the background and colonial history, there was indeed a story to tell! JJ.: Have you researched the first period of the man-eater’s activity in Nepal? Peter Byrne wrote about that period. DH.: Yes, a fair amount, actually, and in some ways that period was more difficult to chronicle because the Shah and Rana dynasties didn’t keep as many records as the Raj government did over in India. Also, there was no “Nepalese Corbett” to leave behind a detailed account. So in terms of recreating the early days of the Champawat, it took different kinds of research, i.e. delving deep into the changes that were taking place in the terai (the jungle lowlands where the tiger likely began its life before going into the hills), the stewardship of the land, and other factors. But I did rely quite a bit on Peter Byrne’s work regarding “The Rupal Man-Eater,” which seems to be the very same tiger. I also spent some time in the terai, staying in a Tharu community, to learn about the relationship between the people and tigers in Nepal. JJ.: We know the book is over 300 pages, but we do not know if the book is illustrated. And if yes, is it illustrated by original drawings from Corbett books, or by the new photos? DH.: There are some illustrated plates in the book, including a relatively rare photo of Corbett as a young man, and a photo I personally liked, that was taken during an expedition around the same time as Corbett’s, that portrays a group of porters from Nainital and KumaoniHillsmen, and that I believe shows roughly what his own expedition party would have looked like when he arrived in Champawat. And of course, I included a few old favorites as well, such as the photo of Corbett with the Bachelor of Powalgarh. JJ.: Did you visit Champawat and see man-eater’s killing place? DH.: Indeed, and it was an incredible experience. It was shocking how deep and steep the ravine was where Corbett finally confronted the Champawat Man-Eater. It was really a powerful moment, to be standing in the same place as Jim Corbett and trying to imagine what that confrontation must have been like, with the local beaters making noise on the ridge above to drive the tiger out. Truly a great experience. JJ.: As I know, you have a copy of our 2016 book “Behind Jim Corbett Stories.” Was the book helpful for your research? DH.: It was extremely helpful! The book filled in some crucial details regarding some of the lingering mysteries from the story, such as the debated location of the bungalow, the backgrounds and identities of some of his friends he only mentions in passing, etc. I can’t recommend it enough, because the contributors for that book were so passionate and dedicated to their work. I don’t think my trip to Kumaon would have been the same without it. JJ.: Which other books about Jim Corbett you used to gather materials for your book? DH.: Of course, as a primary source I used “Man-Eaters of Kumaon,” by Corbett himself, as well as some of his other works. But as secondary sources, I also included works by D.C. Kala, Martin Booth, George Schaller, Peter Byrne, and others. And there all sorts of other primary sources cited for those who are interested, treatises on tiger hunting from that era, newspaper articles, and records from the colonial government’s yearly gazettes from the archives of the British Library. JJ.: Did you manage to meet some descendants of the victims of the Champawat man-eater? DH.: Not that I am aware of, although I did mention your team’s previous expedition in a footnote, and the descendant you located. Unfortunately my schedule only afforded me two days in Champawat proper, and visiting the various sites took up much of the time there. But I definitely would have liked to, and that may provide a reason to go back. JJ.: Do you discuss the “night of horrors” that Corbett spent on May 10th, 1907, two days before killing the man-eater? Did you see the bungalow? DH.: I do discuss that in the book, and I did visit what is believed to be the bungalow where it occurred. It’s an intriguing episode in Corbett’s account, because it’s not clear what actually happened. My best guess, and I believe yours as well, is that he had something akin to a panic attack or night terror, which is understandable given the situation. But maybe there is a supernatural element as well, who knows? I did also talk to some local Kumaonis who had similar stories, not about bungalows per se, but strange things that happened while walking at night in the forest. So Kumaon is a very special place, perhaps, in that regard. I try to keep an open mind! JJ.: Corbett was almost killed twice during the last two days of the monumental chase of the man-eater: (1) On May 11th, when in pursuit after the man-eater, he was examining the severed foot of the last victim, and (2) on May 12, when he was facing the wounded man-eater with no ammunition left. Do you think this happened because this was the first man-eater for Corbett? DH.: I certainly do think that, and he essentially admits it as well. Hunting man-eaters is an activity with a very steep and lethal learning curve, and Jim Corbett was essentially learning on the go. And as such, he made a number of admitted mistakes that he would vow never to repeat, and he took risks that he would later realize simply were not worth it. But he also had a bit of beginner’s luck too, so perhaps that helped cancel some of those early mistakes out! JJ.: Do you discuss Corbett’s “sixth sense’, or as he put it, “jungle sensitivity” that saved him on several occasions (including the Champawat story) DH.: I do discuss that, and frankly, I think that’s the result of his spending so much of his childhood and early adulthood in the forest, and being so deeply attuned to what happened there. Corbett could read the jungle like a book, and just as is the case with a book, he could often sense which direction the plot was headed. JJ.: What is your favourite Corbett story? DH.:Well, I have to admit, it’s probably the Champawat Man-Eater, in part because it was his first attempt at hunting a man-eater, and has that added drama of it being a totally new experience for him. It’s for that reason that he seems so relatable in some ways in his account, because he’s honest about that the fact that he was just beginning to learn the ways of man-eaters. Perhaps this is an obvious answer, since I wrote the book about that story, but it’s true! JJ.: Is there a possibility that your book will be made into a movie? DH.: There is a possibility I think, but nothing concrete yet. But I do believe Corbett’s story would make for a good movie, just because the drama is so intense and tangible. And I believe there is a much broader story here about conservation—Corbett was a pioneer of tiger conservation, after all. What happened in Champawat is in many ways much larger than just the encounter with a single tiger. JJ.: Do you have plans to write about other Corbett stories? DH.: Not at the moment, but who knows? There are a number of Corbett stories that could certainly make for good books. I have a hunch this will be my only big Corbett book, although I would certainly consider writing articles, and I would be very excited to see other writers tackle other Corbett stories (or even this one, for that matter). JJ.: Anything you want to tell to Corbett fans? DH.:Of course I would urge them to read the original Corbett stories and books, like “Man-Eaters of Kumaon,” because nobody can say it better than Corbett himself. But I would also urge them to read other books and documents about that period in general, to form a more complete picture of what was happening in Kumaon at that time, because it enriches Corbett’s original texts. Beyond that, I would urge them to approach Jim Corbett as a complex, real human being who had his own ambiguities and contradictions. What makes him so fascinating was that he was not at all a one-dimensional character, but instead an extremely interesting, at times even conflicted person. JJ.: Dear Dane, thank you very much for your time and for the interesting answers! We wish you good luck with this book and with all the other projects that you have! Dear readers, you can order the book copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Beast-Fierce-Terrifying-Champawat-Deadliest/dp/0062678841
0 Comments
|