The African Elephant And Its Hunter
Cód:
491_9781443761611
FORE WORD THIS volume is not an attempt to deal with the elephant throughout its range in Africa, as the authors experiences of hunting these animals only apply to the territories of Nyasaland, North- Eastern Rhodesia, and Portuguese East Africa. ,. Probably there never lived a man who has hunted the elephant in all its habitats in Africa ,and having read practically all the literature on the subject in the English language I have not discovered such an individual. Selous hunted in Mashonaland and Matabeleland, now known as Southern Rhodesia Neumann in British East Africa, now called Kenya Colony and Stigand in Nyasaland and the Congo. Perhaps Sir Alfred Sharpe has had a more varied experience of elephant hunting than any living person, and it is a pity he does not write more on the subject. Before the days of licences, when a hunter could not find a large tusker he took a small one, and if there were no bulls worth a shot he would fire at cows. Pound for pound cow ivory is of much greater value than that of the bulls, but the tusks seldom grow heavier than 15 lbs. Of course, it was imperative that restrictions should be made, for the improvement in sporting weapons and the development of communications would soon have brought the animals to the point of extinction. Therefore, though the modern hunter is apt to chafe at the limitations imposed, he has gained in usually having more time for nature study. The elephants, owing to increased molestation, now seek thicker country and do not as formerly spend much time in open exposed places. I believe that elephant hunting to-day, not- withstanding the great improvement in weapons, is more dangerous than it was in the past, for constant persecution naturally makes the animals more apt to resent interference and to act offensively. However, there is a tendency on the part of cinema photographers, who cannot be expected to know very much about the true habits of game, to describe charges when the animals are only frightened
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