He exacts revenge by attacking and eating the cattle and livestock of nearby villages, but is captured by poachers.

He lives in captivity successfully for some time, but eventually his wild instincts overcome him and he mauls and kills the Captain.

After an extended rampage though town, he is recaptured, but this time voluntarily by a monk/renunciant with whom he befriends and finds peace on the hills.

He was also inspired by reports of lasting friendships between tigers and human beings which became a major theme of the novel.

However, what decided for him to begin writing the novel was a bookmark he saw with the picture of a tiger that said, “I’d love to get into a good book”.