A SINGULAR ANIMAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3190, 8 April 1911, Page 10

A SINGULAR ANIMAL.

THE “WATER ELEPHANT” OF CENTRAL AFRICA.

Air R. Lydekker writes to the “Times” as "follows:—I saw a- notice in the “Dqily Mail” to the effect thatDr. E. Trouessart had announced the discovery in -Central Africa or a socalled “water elephant,” rumours of whose existence have for some time been current. I thereupon wrote to Dr. Trouessart, asking for further information, and have received a copy of the Paris scientific journal “La Nature” for January 14th, which contains a not of which the following is a translation: “We have just obtained additional information with regard to the mysterious animal which inhabits the lakes of Central Africa, and which the natives call by this characteristic name on account of its aquatic habits. The following is what; we have learned from Air Le Petit, one of two explorers sent by the Paris Museum of Natural History to these little-known, regions, more especially front the point of. view of their fauna, as witness the history of the okapi. It was at Tomba-Mayi, on the northern shore of- Lake Leopold 11., that Mr Le Petit saw these animals. That lake is situate on the left bank the Upper Congo, in the district of Llikeni (Belgian. Congo). The waterelephants, which formed a small herd of five head, halted at a distance of about 600 yards, in such a manner that Air Le Petit was enabled to observe them: for some seconds before- they plunged into the lake. The trunk and the ears- are ir-emarkalbly short, the neck, on the other hand, js longer than in the elephant, and the height does not -exceed about 6ft. There are no signs of tusks. The prints of their feet in the mud 1 are very different from those of the elephant, and the natives readily distinguish between the two. The animals, when they caught sighted the travellers, plunged into- the water, and, leaving only the .summits 1 of their heads and trunks exposed, swam towards the opposite shore. These details, coming from a trained observer, are sufficiently precise to leave no doubt concerning the existence of the animal, whatever may be is zoological affinities.’’.;:.. •' -'...A'. -•’ •■'.AC '