The Tiger

Tomahawk and an encounter with a big cat at night in a Thailand jungle

While exploring a side canyon in Arizonas Huachuca mountains a while back, I cought a glimpse of a fawn colored wraith slipping away into the forest. There was an unmistakable feline smell in the air. This glimpse of a Mountain Lion reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a Biologist on Fort Huachuca about the Big cat sightings on post in recent years. There Have been Jaguar sightings in the Pelloncillos, Chiricahuas and the Huachucas, 5 Oscelot sightings in the Huachucas, and Jagarundi sightings in SW Arizona. Then in turn, This conversation reminded me of an experience I had with a Big Cat in Thailand. It could only be one of 2 types of big cat �" a Leopard or a Tiger.

A few years back, one of my lady friends in Thailand invited me to go with her to Kaijang krachang National park. This park is about 3 hours south west of Bangkok. We hopped into a van taxi and cruised down to the park and set up camp. The next morning I suggested that we hitch hike up to the top of the road where the real jungle is. We packed our gear and headed out. It was my friends first time hitch hiking and she got a real kick out of it, and was amazed that you could get so far in one day by thumbing a ride.

I due time, we arrived at the area in the park where the real triple canopy jungle is located. The was a designated community camping area there so we rented a tent spot for the next couple of nights.We set up our tent, the later That afternoon we were looking around for something to do. It was getting dark so we just wandered the trails near the camp ground, and were later invited to some peoples camp for dinner.

While eating dinner with our new friends one of them suggested that we hike down to some popular water falls and get some pictures of the falls and local plant life and perhaps see some horn bills.

It sounded great to me but my friend decided that she didn't want to walk that far just to see some flowers and water falls. So, early the next morning, I packed my hammock, silk sheet, a gallon of water, some munchies, my head lamp, camera,binoculars,jungle knife and a few other things then hit the trail. (And Im sure a few things I have forgotten).

Anyhoo, early the next AM, I hit the trail and began the steep decent toward the falls. It was nice and cool in the mist of the early morning jungle. I got to see 3 horn bills  and numerous snakes and small birds along the trail. The leeches were out in force and I had to stop from time to time during my hike  to scrape them off.  

It soon became hot and humid and the decent was very steep so I took a break and polished off the coffee in my Nalgene bottle , burned off a few leeches then hit the trail again.

The falls were pretty but not what I expected from the way folks talked about them, the forest though was  REAL jungle , similar to the types I have seen in the Philippine Islands, and south America. But, these woods had a lot more leeches and skeeters than I had experienced before.

I fooled around and tried to take some pictures, but my camera batteries were dead and the old girl didn't seem to want to function in the humidity. I got my camera at a pawn shop on Mindanao in the PI about 4 years prior, so Im surprised it worked up to that time.

Being in the jungle, I have always been surprised as to how fast it gets dark under the canopy . My Atea Negrito friends at Subic bay, always wear their head lamps so they will be ready for darkness. A good Idea. I realized that I wouldn't be able to hike the 4K up hill before full dark so I began to look for a place to set up my hammock.

I found a decent spot and slung the hammock between some hardwoods, on the edge of a fairly large bamboo grove, cut some dry bamboo and collected what “Squaw wood” I could find for making a fire later.

Basically Im pretty Lazy when it comes to fire, Fire needs fuel, fuel means making an effort to find it, and that means burning up calories and energy. But, I did collect some wood, and about dark , kindled a flame, heated some water for tea, ate some of my munchies, messed around trying to get my camera to work, swatted Mosquitos, burned leeches and generally had a good time in my remote solitude.

Long story short �" I crawled into my hammock and tried to sleep. I did drift in and out ,but the Jungle sounds kept waking me up. I heard what sounded like Deer snorting in the forest, things crashing into the trees, bugs, the creek and squeaking of the bamboo etc.

Sometime during the night I awoke to what smelled like a cat, it was a very distinct smell, soon after that I heard a low deep low rumbling growl which scared me to no end, followed immediately by a Hiss or a breathy Haaaaaaaa, similar to what a house cat makes when cornered by the family dog. I was afraid and didn't know what to do, I had my jungle knife hanging from the guy line inside of my hammock and grabbed that. Funny �" it was in a metal scabbard which rattled and was a bit annoying but I never bothered to fix it, perhaps it was a good thing I didnt fix it.

Anyway, this rattling noise combined with my yelling was enough to chase off this critter. My idea is that this big cat smelled a human, Saw me in my hammock, but had never seen this form before and didn't know how to attack or react. Whatever, Im just glad it left the area. I can honestly say that this was the most scared I have ever been in a wild place. It was a combination of the sounds the big cat made, the darkness, the remote location, and knowing I was the only person around there for many miles.

I thank God for what ever reason the Cat took off. I got back in the hammock and lay there for a few moments listening......Then, I scrambled out with my head lamp on, and rebuilt my fire. I wished that my laziness had not got the best of me earlier and that I would have collected more wood...Lesson learned.

I made as much noise as possible by singing songs , army cadences, and chopping on the bamboo to find fuel. Also I had read that most big cats attack from the rear so I kept my Back to the Bamboo thicket and kept up my vigil until dawn.

I packed my gear, and hit the trail at first light. It was a tough hike back up the trail, but, Seeing the trail head sign was a welcome sight. From the trail head, I still had a bit of a hike back to the National park campground. As luck would Have it my lady friend had shanghaied a dude to drive to the trail head to look for me.

After chucking my pack into the back of his pick up truck, I climbed in to the cab with my friends and had a leisurely ride back to the camp grounds where I had a decent meal and a shower then slept like Rumple Stiltskin for most of the day.

This experience was just one of many on my sojourn into the unknown. I hope to experience many more things on the trail, in wilderness areas around the world. But, I doubt that Ill ever go alone into any Jungle in South East Asia again.