Five skins of tigers and leopards hunted by Sir A. W. Ibbotson have been listed for sale at a British auction this month.
'Ibby' was a close friend and hunting companion of Jim Corbett, the famed hunter of man-eaters and author of numerous books about his exploits in the jungles of northern India in the first half of the twentieth century.
The value of the few remaining skins of tigers actually shot by Jim Corbett would be significant but there must surely be a good deal of interest in these, many of which appear in good condition. Ibbotson and Corbett shared many hunting adventures together and may possibly have teamed-up on the hunts for some of these beasts.
Reeman Dansie, the auctioneers observe: 'As Deputy Commissioner of Garhwal, Ibby had to deal with the menace of the man-eating leopard of Rudraprayag, causing terror across the district, the animal was reputed to have been responsible for 125 deaths. He came under pressure to report the attacks and protect the villagers from the man-eater. Frustrated by the lack of Government response, he set out to actively pursue the trail of the leopard. Jim Corbett, already a renowned hunter of man-eaters, was sent for, and over the next few months, together they pursued the leopard until they prevailed. The story of the hunt was later detailed in Corbett’s 1948 book ‘The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag’.
The collection of five leopard and tiger skins starring in our sale on the 6th and 7th of August sale carry estimates ranging from £150-£2000. It is unknown whether any of these mighty beasts were known man-eaters, but Ibbotson was undoubtedly Jim Corbitt’s first choice as hunting colleague when he was called upon to rid an area of a rogue big cat.'
Corbett wrote of him:
"Of all the men I have been on shikar with, Ibbotson is by far and away the best, for not only has he the heart of a lion, but he thinks of everything, and with it all, is the most unselfish man that carries a gun” - Jim Corbett - Man-Eaters of Kumaon (OUP Bombay, 1944).
The Ibbotson collection of tiger and leopard skins can be viewed here: IBBOTSON
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