Bichu, her natural power and beauty ripped away by a hunter’s bullet, is struggling home. She has to evade not only the dangers of the jungle, but also the cunning of a proud and stubborn Indian who is determined to catch and kill her. The chase – seen through the eyes of man and beast – draws to its climax at Bichu’s mountain lair. But as the moment of truth draws near, both hunter and hunted have developed an extraordinary and totally unexpected respect for each other. This magnificent novel conveys the harsh truth of animal existence more convincingly than any nature book.