Kenneth Anderson (writer)

Kenneth Anderson

Kenneth Anderson and his pariah dog Nipper, whom he adopted during his hunt for the Leopard of Gummalapur
Born 8 March 1910
British India (now India)
Died 30 August 1974
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Nationality British
Subject Wildlife, big game hunting, Southern India

Kenneth Anderson (8 March 1910– 30 August 1974) was an Indian-born, British writer and hunter who wrote books about his adventures in the jungles of South India.

Background

Kenneth Anderson was from a Scottish family settled in India for six generations. His father (Douglas Stewart Anderson) was superintendent of the F.C.M.A. in Poona, Maharastra and dealt with the salaries paid to military personnel, having an honorary rank of captain. His father had a rifle, hunted for waterfowl, and influenced Anderson's decision to become a hunter.

Anderson went to Bishop Cotton Boys' School and studied in St. Joseph's College, Bangalore. He was employed by the British Aircraft Factory in Bangalore (later HAL) in the rank of Factory Manager for Planning. He owned nearly 200 acres of land across Karnataka, Hyderabad and Tamil Nadu. He had a daughter, June, (born 1930) who now resides in Western Australia and a son, Donald, (born Feb 18th, 1934-12th July, 2014) who was also a hunter and resided in Bangalore, India.

His love for the inhabitants of the Indian jungle led him to big game hunting and to writing real-life adventure stories. He often went into the jungle alone and unarmed to meditate and enjoy the beauty of untouched nature. As a hunter, he tracked down man-eating tigers and leopards. His kills include the Sloth bear of Mysore, the Leopard of Gummalapur, the Leopard of the Yellagiri Hills, the Tigress of Jowlagiri, the Tiger of Segur and the Tiger of Mundachipallam.

He is officially recorded as having shot 8-man-eating leopards (7 males and 1 female) and 7 tigers (5 males and 2 females) on the Government records from 1939 to 1966 though he is rumored to have unofficially shot over 18 man eating panthers and over 15–20-man eating tigers. He also shot a few rogue elephants.

Hobbies

Anderson's style of writing is descriptive, as he talks about his adventures with wild animals. While most stories are about hunting tigers and leopards – particularly man-eaters – he includes chapters on his first-hand encounters with elephants, bison, and bears. There are stories about the less 'popular' creatures like Indian wild dogs, hyenas, and snakes. He explains the habits and personalities of these animals.

Anderson gives insights into the people of the Indian jungles of his time, with woods full of wildlife and local inhabitants having to contend with poor quality roads, communication and health facilities. His books delve into the habits of the jungle tribes, their survival skills, and their day-to-day lives.

He also explores the occult, and writes about his experiences for which he has no explanation. He was a personal friend and devotee of Satya Sai Baba, whom he had known since childhood; he always carried a talisman from the Baba for protection. Anderson helped save the jungle dwelling tribes from man-eaters in villages in southern India. He spoke Kannada, the language of his home town Bangalore, and Tamil, a language of the neighboring states. He had a Studebaker car and usually hunted with a .405 Winchester Model 1895 rifle. He was a pioneer of wildlife conservation in southern India, and spent his later years "shooting" with a camera.

Anderson expounds on his love for India, its people, and its jungles. He believed in the power of alternative medicine and carried a box containing natural herbs from the jungle. He refused most treatments based on Western medicine and died of prostate cancer at the age of 64 on 30 August 1974. (However, when he was mauled by a man-eating tiger, he took penicillin to counter the possible infection.) This incident is described in his book Man Eaters and Jungle Killers in the chapter entitled "The Maurauder of Kempekarai".[1] His last book, Jungles Long Ago, was published posthumously. He wrote a novel called the Fires of Passion which highlighted the situation of the Scottish people in South India.[2]

In his introduction to Tales from the Indian Jungle, Anderson writes: "He [Anderson] appears to be of the jungle himself, and we get the impression that he belongs there. This is the home for him and here is the place he would want to die; the jungle is his birthplace, his heaven and his resting place when the end comes."

Jungle Folk

Kenneth Anderson became well acquainted with many jungle folk from various aborigine tribes; Byra the Poojare from the poojaree tribe, Ranga a petty shikari who also occasionally took to poaching, and Rachen from the Sholaga tribe. Some of his friends such as Hughie Hailstone also had estates in South India and he also tells us about Eric Newcombe, his friend from his young days who used to get into a lot of trouble.

Books

HUNTING BOOKS:


OTHER PUBLICATIONS:


OMNIBUSES:

Kenneth Anderson Omnibus Vol. 1

Kenneth Anderson Omnibus Vol.2

References

  1. ↑ Anderson, Kenneth "Man Eaters and Jungle Killers", Swapna Printing Works
  2. ↑ Hunters Tales, Frontline Onnet

External links