The Cooch Behar state and its land revenue settlements

[100] The Fauna of Cooch Behar is large, and almost all the animals varieties are found in Lower Bengal can be met with here. The birds are very numerous and are of a large variety. Situated as the country is almost at the foot of the Himalayas, it is naturally expected to be the abode of the wild beasts. And so in fact it was formerly. Large clearances have heen going on of late, not only in this country but also in the western Duars which stretch from its northern borders to the Bhutan Hills, and the shelter necessary for the growth of wild animals is fast disappearing. These animals are therefore moving higher up the country. Formei-ly the ra-ages from the wild beasts were very great, especially near the northern borders, where many a tiger and rhino have been shot by His Highness and the Deputy Commissioners. Wild game has now become almost scarce, and the Maharaja has to hold his annual shoot in the Duars. It was chiefly owing to this reason that two large tracts in the north of Parganas Cooch Behar and Tufangunj which contained good jungle, had lately to be constituted into Reserve Forests for the preservation of the big games for the shoot of His Highness, who is famous for his love of sport and is a first rate shot.
Big games. Among the big games may be mentioned rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, wild buffalo and black-bear.