Some interesting paragraphs.

"A professional to the core, it was not his first kill. So far the Hyderabadi nawab has killed three man-eaters in Madhya Pradesh and five rogue elephants in Assam, Karnataka and Meghalaya. "

Not a bad career!

"Interestingly, it was the first time that the government permitted engaging the services of a professional hunter to track down the man-eater. The tigress had claimed five lives and mauled 35 persons – sending panic waves among the locals."

Mauled 35 persons, a few more than otherwise reported.

"Mr. Khan took charge of ‘operation tiger’ on January 20 and for the next 35 days it was a game of wait and watch. Trained elephants were also used to stalk the tigress."

35 days - quite a committment

"On that fateful day, the man-eater claimed its last victim - a cow. Sure that it would come to finish it off, Mr. Khan settled on a ‘machan’ atop a tree - his .458 Winchester Magnum rifle positioned.

Soon he was face-to-face with his target. There were four bullets in all – three in the magazine and one in the chamber.

The tigress crouched some 30 yards away from the cow carcass, perhaps sensing danger. Khan signalled Kamal, a Lucknow zoo hand, to put on the torch light.

As the beam fell on the tigress, it charged and in the breath-held silence, the first shot rang out. It caught the tigress between the left shoulder and neck. The animal fell, rolled over and let out a roar.

The second shot also caught the beast on shoulder. Bleeding profusely, it continued to charge. Now it was almost beneath the ‘machan’. With death staring in his face, Mr. Khan fired the killing shot on the forehead. It all happened in spastic seconds. “I shudder to recall the final moments when the eyes of the tigress shone like bulbs,” he says."

Interesting hunt. Done at night.