Wildlife expert Ziaur Rahman dead

GUWAHATI: Last rites of noted hunter and wildlife expert Ziaur Rahman, popularly known as 'Jim Corbett' of Assam, was performed on Tuesday.

Rahman (67) died of heart attack in the Gauhati Medical College hospital on Monday.

He started his hunting career at the early age of 15 and from 1952 to 2002, killed as many as 40 man-eaters that killed nearly 200 people.

Rahman has also killed man eaters in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Orissa on invitation from the state governments.

Born in Majbat in Udalguri district in 1942, Rahman, who captured 100 tigers in different parts of the state had said that as his admiration for tigers and leopards grew, he resolved never to shoot them unless they turned man-eater.

Participating as a guest-of-the month programme at the Guwahati press club a couple of days before his death, the wildlife expert had said the Madhya Pradesh government had invited him to hunt two man-eaters as they eluded the forest authorities.

After 45 days of hide and seek he was successful in capturing the two man-eaters for which he was given a cash award of Rs 10,000.

Rahman has also written some books on wildlife.