ABSTRACT
HUNTERS lay their hands on this wily animal (whose appearance partly resembles a cat’s, partly a dog’s) by various ruses, solely with a view to acquiring its valuable skin. They do it like this. A fresh carcase is carried into the forest to a place which these beasts are seen to haunt quite frequently, especially when the snow lies deep, for in summer their pelts are worthless. The glutton becomes aware of the carcase from its scent, seizes it, and feeds until its belly is distended like a drum. Then it is forced to unload its stomach between closely-growing trees, not without some pain, and while it is taken up with this activity the hunter shoots it dead with a broad arrow. 1 There is a second method of catching this creature, by means of beams held apart by a very thin cord; it only needs a light movement of the animal while eating the carcase and the glutton is strangled. Alternatively you dig a trench, or pits with sloping sides, and throw in the carrion. Pressed by hunger the glutton comes to eat the meat and tumbles into the hole, where it is taken. One other method is scarcely admissible, that is, to catch it with hounds, for the creature has such sharp claws and teeth that dogs which will normally match their strength against the most ferocious wolves are terrified to engage with it. 2
