Further Tiger Victims

Further Tiger Victims Several media reports have surfaced that man-eaters were prevalent during the Vietnam conflict. Tigers in that surrounding area had an abundance of human bodies that had been left unburied. As tigers will scavenge and feed off old kills, either their own or another tiger’s, these tigers soon developed a taste for human flesh. As the area had numerous soldiers of whatever nation, the supply was almost never-ending.

A 3rd Reconnaissance Marine Battalion patrol was attacked by one of these man-eaters in November, 1967 near Quang Tri, in southern Vietnam. The six-man patrol was operating about six miles east of the Laotian border and was awaiting the arrival of a chopper. The weather had been atrocious and had prevented an earlier airlift and while two men were posted on sentry duty, the remainder of the patrol slept. That was when the man-eater launched his attack - swiftly and in utter silence.

Private First Class Roy Regan had been sleeping next to the victim and recalled the moment.

“After a sudden scream and outburst that a tiger was present, I jumped up and saw the tiger with my partner in the tiger’s mouth. All I thought was how to get the tiger away from him. I jumped at the tiger and he jerked his head quickly then jumped into a bomb crater 10 metres away, still holding his victim,” the Marine concluded.

Meanwhile the other members of the patrol had followed the tiger to the crater and all opened fire on the man-eater, who immediately released his intended victim. None of them was sure who had actually killed the tiger, however, the attacked Marine staggered out of the bomb crater, bleeding profusely from lacerations and bites to his neck.

The Marine was given medical attention but seemed quite dazed and bewildered as to what had happened. Ironically, this incident occurred approximately 10 miles from where another young Marine was slain by a man-eating tiger earlier in the month.

The patrol was choppered out but not before measuring the tiger’s carcass. It was nine feet from head to tail.

A further tiger attack occurred in Vietnam one night in early 1968. It happened also to a six-man Marine patrol patrolling in dense bush with limited visibility. The men were alternating their rest periods when suddenly, one member felt something pulling on his leg. He could just make out a large shape standing beside him before it disappeared into the surrounding darkness. The patrol leader radioed to base that the patrol had movement around them and was undecided as to whether to remain undetected in their present position or take action. The leader never had the chance to finalise his decision, for at that moment the black shape materialised into a tiger launching a frenzied attack upon a luckless Marine.

As the attack was launched the patrol retaliated and opened fire, killing the tiger immediately. This sudden action, obviously ruined their security, however, after relating the incident by radio, they then proceeded towards a Landing Zone with the patrol endeavouring to carry the 400 lb tiger over rough and difficult territory. It was teeming a typical monsoonal downpour and it was envisaged that their immediate rescue was now not possible. Struggling with the tiger, besides the normal dangers in evading the North Vietnamese, the patrol realised that this particular feat was futile. Therefore, it was decided to skin the tiger and proceed to the LZ with greater ease. After a couple of days in humid conditions, the tiger’s hide was beginning to deteriorate and in desperation, a radio message was sent asking for advice on how to keep the skin intact.

A reply came to the effect that tannic acid needed to be applied to preserve the skin. This idea seemed preposterous to the patrol stuck in dense bush. However it was related that urine has tannic acid in it. Thereupon the patrol collectively administered tannic acid to the tiger skin! The following morning the weather cleared and the chopper uplifted the patrol and the highly tainted tiger skin.

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