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Writer's pictureJohn Higgins

The Deer and the Tiger: A study of Wildlife in India, by George Schaller - A Review

Updated: May 20, 2018



Spending time observing animals in their natural environment is a thrilling experience. For me, seeing a behaviour for the first time or an undisturbed animal at close-proximity provides sense of ‘discovery’, and inspires a need to learn more – to seek deeper understanding and piece together the puzzle that wild animals often are. Schaller’s The Deer and the Tiger is a written collection of such observations of wild animals, made during a twenty-month scientific expedition throughout India. Based on hundreds of hours of direct observation of wild animals, this book provides a detailed and logically-constructed discussion on a range of hooved animals and predators, forming an outstanding resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of any of the species included in the study.


I was initially drawn to this book out of my interest in chital, seeking out the 1967 publication in hope of piecing together the puzzle that is chital. It is one of the few books available containing dedicated information on this species, and therefore is essential reading for a chital-lover. Importantly, the book is not limited to chital, but includes content on Barasingha, Sambar, Blackbuck, Guar and several predatory species, thus appealing to a range of reader interests. Unfortunately, sambar feature only a minor component of the book.


This is the sort of book that takes time to read and consider. Given it is the product of a scientific study, it is clinical and objective and therefore does not inspire great interest in the subject matter. However, read with an existing interest in a particular species, this book is exceptionally engaging and valuable. It contains the sort of detailed information which can only be derived from exclusive dedication to a project, and is testament to Schaller’s commitment to this project. As an example, it is stated 227 hours of direct observation was undertaken on chital alone, a number most of us would not hope to achieve in a lifetime of fieldwork. As a consequence, the reader is afforded a unique confidence in the quality of information, which didn’t feel ‘anecdotal’ at any point – by comparison, other dedicated books on deer have left me wondering what the conclusions or explanations were based on. The Deer and the Tiger leaves no doubt of the integrity of the content at any point, a quality afforded by the scientific writing style used and the author’s expertise.


At the time of writing, it appears little other secondary-sources directly related to the subject were available. As a consequence, certain behaviours observed as part of this study relating to chital for example, were paralleled to North American species presumably more familiar to Schaller, being an American Biologist. Whilst this makes sense in the context the book was written in, it certainly falls should of what a modern equivalent could be, given the volume of relevant scientific information now available. Therefore, at the current time, this book does not represent an exhaustive collection of what is currently known on each of the given species, however, it remains one of the few publications readily available on the subject, thus maintaining its value several decades on.


The book also provides an insight into the state of wildlife in the Indian Subcontinent as a whole, drawing comparison between the true ‘wild India’ of the past and the ‘modern’ India during the 1960’s. Schaller describes profound changes in wildlife numbers in response to growing conflict between humans and wildlife, unregulated hunting and a rapid population growth (the India of today has an additional half a billion-people compared to time of writing!). As saddening as this situation is, it is very interesting to reflect on the insights and warnings of the past in the context of the present. References to books published in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s inspire further reading to gain a better glimpse of the true wild India of the past, with authors such as James Forsyth, George Sanderson and Frederick Champion receiving notable mention. Original publications of these authors are still available online, though with an impressive price tag!


In conclusion, The Deer and the Tiger is an outstanding book and given its availability despite being out of print, is a very worthwhile inclusion in a personal library. It is the type of book that I expect I will return to as my interests develop, enhancing the value of certain sections of the book that are of little relevance to my current interests. It holds tremendous value to anyone seeking deeper understanding of specific species of Indian Wildlife, and given it is one of the few publications containing this type of information, it remains an invaluable resource several decades on. Photos of the contents of the book are pictured below - if even one of these chapters is of interest to you, this book is for you.



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