The state journal., 1884-08-23
AN AFFECTlONATE ELEPHANT.


Bendigo and Tea Planters Gazette.
On the Queens birthday and the day
following it the khedda party in the
Duars, conducted by MIR. J. Shillingford,
were fortunate enough to catch seven
wild elephants by the noosing process.
This makes the total number now cap
tured twenty eight On the former day
the noosing party, mounted on their kun
kies (fast tame elephants trained to the
work., proceeded up the Joitee river,
near BuXa, at gray dawn, and soon
espied a herd feeding along the bank of
that river. Approaching stealthily from
different directions to within a short dis
tance, by asudden movement the kunkie5
were amid the unsuspecting quarry, and
had secured four before the terrified herd
rushed headlong and disappeared into the
adjoining forest. Among the captiveS
was q fine young tusker about five and a
half feet high. They were all lashed be
tween the tame ones and conveyed to
camp, a long distance off, and there
tethered for the night. Toward the
small hours of the morning o great
commOtiOn where the elephants
were encamped aroused every one,
and large female elephant could be just
discerned moving about restlessly among
the trees where the captured ones were
tied Being too DART at the time to at
tempt nOOsing, some of the kunllics were
equipped with the rOpe-gear and kept IN
readiness silence was enforced, and the
appearance of daylight anXiously
watched. The wild one very soon dis
covered the object of her search, when
with cry of JOY, she took up her posi-
ton alongside of the young tusker above
referred 10, and began carrcssing him all
over with the trunk. The youngster
made frantic efforts then to liberate him.
self, the mother ercncOuraging all the while,
and when painting he would fall to the
ground exhausted she would endeavOr to
assist him up. This excessive affection
cost her her liberty. AS soon as there
was sufficient daylight for the purpose,
within few yards of her offspring she
was noosed, as, on the approach OF dan
GER, she was reluctantly moving away,
1t is really wonderful now she managed
to trace her young to 1.-THE camp The
distance cannot be less than eight miles,
while the track lay through dense forest,
and the trail was mixed up With
those of at least some fifteen
other elephants, both tame and
wild. She must have waited until il
was dark, then followed the track, reach
ing camp between 1 and 9 A. NJ. The
sense of smell must be developed to q
marvellous degree in elephants. On two
nooooiana whom rnotherD with calves
have been captured and led away, thei
Young have followed and been secured il
camp, while another calf, a small suck
ling, is in camp with It's mother, and is
| kept loose. If any one tries 10 approach
| it runs up to its mother for protection, OF
else moves about among the cap.
tives without any fear or hcsi
tation. The usual style of feed
ing wild elephants, when frs
taken, is TO lash them to the side Of ;
tame one, and lead them ont to Craze
| Some of the tame females have taken q
great fancy to calves intrustedo thci
| care, and if by mistake new one i
broughtup, she evinces her dislike to thu
change by kicking ont at the unfortunate
intruder Elephants, it mustbe admitted
| are curious animals, and the more you
see of them the greater the interest gen
| Grated regarding their habits.