Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-05-21
The Bablrcussa.


an exceedingly dIsagreeable one TO meet
when il ia not in the best humor. II has
two pa,rs Of tusks. those in the lower jaw
being somewhat Ike wild-boar's, but the
pair which spriDg from the top of the
upper Jaw are very long, and curve in
ward, almost touching the skin OF the fore
lead. Tue upper tusks do not spring
from between the lips, but cut their way
through the skin. and have the apTesr
ance of growing out of the upper part OF
the snout.
The animal usually grows to the ordin-
ary SIZE of wild hogs, but some have been
killed that were as large as donkey. 1t
can run very fast, and Is most dangerous
enemy when broul ht TO bay. IL is OF a
gray color, the SKIN hanging In folds OF
wrinkles about the body. which is COW
cred very ihinly with short bristles. The
tail Is nearly without hair, save at the end,
where it forms a sort of tassel.
These animals hardly ever have regu-
lar home; they wander from one part OF
the forest to the Other, but always IN the
wet, mars1y portions, feeding on leaves,
grass and water plants. They are remark
ably good swimmers, and often cross large
lakes rather than walk around them, and
| they never hesitate to take to the water
when in flight. Swimming appears to be
as much an instinct with the young babi-
/ roussas as with ducks, for they plunge
/ boldly INTO the water as soon as they can
walk,
If suddenly reused In Its lair, instead OF
seeking safety IN flight, the babuoussa
rushes out upon its assailant with the ut
most fury, and although Its tusks are
curved SO nearly to the flesh, 1t can iniict
most dangerous wounds. By the natives
Its flesh Is considered great delicacy. an d
all the more 50 because they rarely sue
ceed IN killing one save at the expense OF
several lives.
These hogs usually are found in herds
of six or eight, and the males as well as
the females care for the young, pettlng
them In their swinish way as human par
ents do their offspring. Savage as they
are, there Is no more dangerous time to
approach them than when the young are
small. The females will gather around
| the young ones, while the males will rush
out to give battle without waiting for an
| attack,
Funk, the naturalist of Cologne, tells or
an encounter with q babiroussa which
was related to him by sea-Captain. Two
sailors and three natives came suddenly
upon a herd of five full-grcwn hogs and
two young ones The two females Of the
party Immediately covered the young
with their bodies, while the males dashed
forward with such fury that all the party
save one Of the sailors, were overturned,
| - Nf tha hrt
One of the natives was instantly killea.,
the lower tusks OF the hog being driven
through his eye into his brain. Another
was fatally wounded, and lot one of the
party escaped serious injury. During the
sffray, which did not last many minutes.
the hunters had had an opportunity to tire
among the herd bus once, and that with
out inflIcting any injury. 1t was almost
impossible for the party even to drag
their wounded companions out of the
reach of the iDfuTiateG beasts. and they
did not succeed IN doing SO until after
several more severe wounds had teen in
flicted by the hogs, which pursued them
quite half mile.
The traveller Brun, writing of the for
tunate chance which gave him an oppor-
tunity of carefully examining .he babi-
roussa, was much more successful. de
says:
81 was once IN low, damp forest on
one of the Malaccan islands, when one
of my guides drew nv attention to a
noise as of the gruntIng OF hogs but a
short distance away. IL was more of a
low, whistllng sound than grunt, al
though now and then could be head the
s1ueal peculiar to the common hog when
angry or frightened"
The guides were familisr with the
sound, and without stopping to explain
their course, or even to give any advice
to the traveller in their charge, they
started Off at full speed, leaving the ex
plorer with no weapon save light gun,
and no ammunition save the two charges
1t contained.
Brun knew from the stories he had
heard from the natives that his guides
had been frightened by the hogs, and
he was all the more ANXIOUS to capture
one because of their rareneSs.
''rhe noise. which al frs seemed neal
by, was farther away than had thought
for it was not until | had walked quite
mile and a bali through the thIcf
underbrush that l could distinguish any
living thing. Then the gray forms of sew
eral hogs could be Indistinctly seen through
the folisge, and l determined to risk every.
thing for the sake of bagging the largest
of the herd"
Whether the hogs were startled by some
thing other than the hunter, or whether
it was because they were IN no mood for
! 6uh hot ha told htrt ar
tain it is that, contrary to their usuaI
habits, instead of rushing upon the intru'
der, they ran swiftly past him to brook
near by, leaping in as if in the greatest ex
citement and fear.
"They certainly swan under the water
at least forty yards. for from the time the,
plunged in 1 could see no more of them
until they scrambled out, squealIng anC
whistIiHg on the othec side. My gun
was loaded with large shot, and since
owing to the absence OF my ammunition
carrier, l had no bullets, / gave The
largest Of the party my compliments IL
the form of charge OF shot"
The animal was hi; just behind the fore
leg, and tumbled over dead, while hi.
companions, instead OF continuing thei
flight surrounded HIN as II TO aid him il
his trouble. A second shot had the effec
of dIspers ng them, and the brave hunter
had the satisfaction Of examining the prlz'
at his leisure. 1t proved TO be full
grown hog, weighing about one hundred
and fifty pounds, while its thick, rouut
body measured three feet IN length, ant
over two feet IN height"