Scientific name: Panthera tigris
Local name: Pawpi, Sabawi, Caa
English: Bengal Tiger
Tigers "Sabawi" belong to the group mammalia under the Animal kingdom. These creatures belong to the cat family which includes leopards, cheetahs, lions, and other domestic cats. They have yellow, orange, and black stripes on its back until the belly. Tigers are worm- blooded animals and are one of the most furious hunters in the jungle. Regardless of their size and structure, tigers are fast and active. They can drag a prey that weigh more than their size about 1000 feet from where the prey was killed. These furious hunters live forests, shrub lands, mountains, and mangroves. It has been told by the local elders of Chin Hills that the tigers once used to live in the jungles of Chin Hills. The word "sabawi" comes from two Chin root words "sa" and "bawi" , "sa" meaning "animals" and "bawi" which means "king" . In literal translation, the word "sabawi" means "King of animals" (note: no reference were used for translation of this word, I translated this with my own understanding!). These species of tigers found in Chin Hills are Bengal tigers, Panthera tigris tigris . Their distribution ranges from India, and Nepal, and Bangladesh, and Bhutan, and up to Myanmar. Some of the tigers hunted by local Chin hunters are sometimes called "Pawpi" which I think means "biggest of all tigers" . These tigers sometime measure 9 - 10 feet from head to tail and weigh 300 - 500 pounds. In Chin Hills the tigers are regarded as magical creatures due to the traditional beliefs of Chin people. There even has been a story of a lady who was transformed into tiger. It was also in the tradition of Chin people that whenever a tiger "Pawpi" has been hunted the locals always performed a ceremony called "Sabawi fim" which I think means "tiger keeping" ( I'm not so sure about the meaning - need more research! ) .
Now the tigers in Chin Hills are disappearing (there could even be non left) because of the deteriorating forests and jungles, and human hunting them for their big canine teeth and their furs. Reference: http://www.schoolworld.asn.au/species/bengal.html http://www.geocities.com/white_blaze49/bengalinfo.html |
