GIRAFFE-HUNTING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2764, 19 March 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

GIRAFFE-HUNTING.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT’S EXPERIENCES.

In a recent article in the London “Daily Telegraph” Mr Roosevelt relates how lie iiunted the giraffe iri East Africa. “In tho afternoon,” he writes, “I came on giraffes and got up near enough to shoot at them. But they are such enormous beasts that I thought them far nearer than they were. My bullet fell short, and they disappeared among the mimosas, at their strange, leisurely-looking gallop. Of all tlie beasts in an African landscape none is more striking than the giraffe. Usually it is found in small parties or in herds of fifteen or twenty or more individuals. Although it will drink regularly if occasion offers, it is able to get along without water for months at a time, and frequents by choice the dry plains, or else the stretches ol open forest where the trees are scattered and ordinarily somewhat stunted. Like the rhinoceros —the ordinary or pre-hensile-lipped rhinoceros—the giraffe is a browsing and not a grazing animal. The leaves, buds and twigs of the mimosas or thorn-trees, form its customary food. Its extraordinary height enables it to bring into play to the best possible advantage its noteworthy powers of vision, and -no animal is harder to api-iroacli unseen. Again and again I have made it out a mile off, or, rather, have seen it- a mile off when it wag pointed out to me, and looking at it through my glasses would see that it was gazing steadily at us. It is A STRIKING-LOOKING ANIMAL, and handsome in its way, but its length of leg and neck and sloping back make it appear awkward even at rest. When alarmed it may go off at a long, swinging jiace or walk, but if really frightened it strikes into a peculiar gallop or canter. The tail is cocked and twisted, a-nd the huge hind legs are thrown forward well to the outside of the forelegs. The movements seem deliberate, and the giraffe does not appear to be going at a fast pace, but if it lias any start a horse must gallop hard to overtake it. When it starts on this gait the neck may be dropped forward at a sharp angle with the straight line of the deep chest, and tlie big head is thrust in advance. They are defenceless tilings, and, though they may kick at a man who incautiously comes within reach, they are in no way dangerous.” The following day Mr Roosevelt v.gam rode out with Captain b’lattor. During the morning they saw nothing except the ordinary game, and they lunched on a hill-top, ten miles distant from camp, under a thick foliagespreading tree. Very soon the fieldglasses revealed three giraffes a mile and a half a wav.

“There u - as no use in trying a stalk, for that would merely have aroused the giraffes’ suspicion,” the hunter continues. “But wo know they were accustomed to the passing and repassing of Wkamba men and women, whom they did not fear if they kept at a reasonable distance, so u - e walked in single file diagonally in their direction: that is, toward a tree which I judged to be about 300yds from me. I was carrying the Winchester loaded with full metal-patched bullets. I wished to get for the Museum both a bull and a cow. One of tho three giraffes was much larger than tlie other two, and as ho was evidently a bull 1 thought the turn others were coivs.

“As we reached the tree the giraffes showed symptoms of uneasiness! One of the smaller ones began to make off, and both the others shifted their positions slightly, curling their tail.-.. I instantly dropped on my knee, and. getting the bead just bet.rnd the big bull’s shoulder. I fired with the 300-yard sight. I heard the “pack” of ' the bullet as it struck just where I aimed, and away went all three giraffes at THEIR QUEER ROCKING-HORSE CANTER. Running forward I emptied my magazine, firing at the big bull, ami aiso at one of his smaller companions, and then, slipping into the barrel what proved to be a soft-nosed bullet, I fired at the latter again. The giraffe was going straight awn}, and it ms a long shot, 400 or 500 yards, but by good luck the bullet broke its -jack,-and down it came. Tlie other hulls Mere now getting over the crest ot the hill, but the big one M - as evidently sick, a:;u "•:; called and beckoned to the two saises to hurry up with the horses. The moment they arrived mo jumped on, and Captain Slatter cantered up a neighboring hill, so as to mark the direction in M-hicli the giraffes went if l lost sight of them.” Finally they killed the big bull and a younger one. $

“At this very time, and utterly without our knowledge,'” Mr Roosevelt adds, “there was another giraffe hunt going on. Sir Alfred had taken out Kennit and Mcdlicott, and they came across a herd of a dozen giraffes right out on the open plains. Modlicott’s horse was worn out. and he could not keep up, but both the others were fairly -well mounted. Both M'ere light men and hard riders, and although the giraffes had three-quarters of a mile start, it was not long before both wore at the heels of the herd. They singled out the big bull, which, by the way, turned out to be an even bigger bull than mine, and fired at him" as thev galloped. In such A HEADLONG HELTER-SKELTER CHASE,

however, it is no easy matter to score a hit from horseback, unless one is very close up; and Sir Alfred made up his mind to try to drive out the bull from the- rest of the herd. He succeeded, but at this moment his horse put a- forefoot into a hole and turned a complete somersault, almost wrenching out his shoulder. Sir Alfred was hurled off head over heels, but even as lie rolled over clutching his rifle, he twisted homself round' to bis knees, and took one last shot at the flying giraffe. This left Kcrmit alone, and he galloped hard on the giraffe’s heels, firing again and again with his Winchester. .Finally his horse became completely done out and foil behind; •whereupon Kermit jumped off, and being an excellent long-distance runner, ran after the giraffe on foot for more than a mile. But he did not need to shoot again. The great beast had been mortally wounded, and it suddenly slowed down, halted, and fell over dead. As a matter of curiosity we kept the Winchester bullets both from Kermit’s giraffe and from mine. I made a point of keeping as maii v as possible of the bullets with which the different animals were slain so as to see just what was done by the different types of rifles wo had with us.”