Sgt Phelger USMC was killed by a tiger on 5 May 1970. He was dragged from his harbor site during the night. His team found blood trails that lead to his remains the next morning. A couple of weeks later this tiger was killed by Sgt Larkins. The tiger was stalking the team and moved to attack the team when Sgt. Larkins opened fire.
I was on my way to a insert helicopter with my team, when I took this photo.
Just another peril of humping the jungle. A place where death lurked in many forms. Frank, the next time someone doesnt believe you, tell them ring me up.
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| Tiger killed by First Squad First Platoon May 9, 1970. L-R Dave Cawley, Scrap, Ski-Red, Bob Maclean(standing), Cody, and Dan Foley. Perhaps the only tiger killed with a grenade launcher--it had human remains in its stomach--probably VC as no Marines were reported missing. |
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A Marine serving in Vietnam faced many hazards. Beyond the enemy forces, there were the natural hazards of the jungle. While some of the smaller hazards, like snakes were potentially more deadly, running into a 400-pound tiger, a clearly visible predator was likely more hair-raising. The problem of tigers is particularly interesting. Of course tigers were native to Vietnam, so seeing one would not be particularly unusual. Most wild animals have an instinctive fear of man. However, armed conflict of one kind or another had existed in Vietnam since the outbreak of World War II, and tigers were no longer afraid of the sounds of gunfire. In fact, they had “learned” that gunfire meant dead bodies – potentially a meal they wouldn’t have to chase.
Wildlife biologists identified the tiger species living in Vietnam as the Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) is a tiger subspecies found allso in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and southwestern China that has been classified today as endangered by IUCN. Its status is poorly known but the extent of its recent decline is serious, approaching the threshold for critically endangered. Panthera tigris corbetti, also called Corbett's tiger, was named in honour of Jim Corbett. Tigers in peninsular Malaysia, formerly classified as Indochinese, have recently been reclassified as a separate subspecies, Malayan tiger Panthera tigris jacksoni. No Indochinese tigers have been seen in China since 2007, and it is believed that the last specimen there was killed and eaten by a man now sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the crime.
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| The Heart of a Tiger - Vietnam Sgt. M L Larkins presents the heart of a tiger he killed to his CO, W C Drumwright. |
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