The Delta independent., 1890-09-02
HOW WILD ANIMALS CHARGE.
Io0s ef the Various Ways In which They
Attack their Victims.

>o0s sf the Various wsys In which They
Attack their Victims.
We arein the habit of seeing in books
Of travel and sport very startling illus
trations OF the attitudes wild ami
mails assume when charging their hu-
men aggressors- attitudes which. in
the main and most essential point, are
most incorrect. For instance, the
tiger has the credit of smashing in his
victims skull with sledge-hanmer-
like blowof his fore-paw. The elephant
Il generally depicted coming down like
. locomotive with his proboscis extend
cd to its full length; the bison and buf-
falo charging from 3 distance Of many
yards. with their heads and horns low
cred; and our ursine friends standing
mp on their hind legs. always exposing
the fatal white horseshoe on their
hearts most conveniently. l should be
glad. therefore, to hear the opinions of
some of our correspondents, who have
shot these large ferde nature and be-
ing charged by them. regarding their
attitude when assuming the offensive,
for my own experience is 80 totally at
variance with the preconceived notions
Of artists that think the matter may
not be unworthy of public disussion
through the medium Of your columns.
To begin with the felide. am glad
70 say that In the few instances in
which l have stood charge my an
tagonist never got home; but . relative
Of mine. who was very badly wound
cd by tiger. and several friends, who
have not only been in the mouths OF
tigers, but Of lions, all tell me that the
animal. to use, perhaps. homely form
Of expression. ''came roust bang up
against them" The description is
perhaps more expressive than refined
IN language, but1 think conveys the
idea Of animal "hurtling" up against
you. In seizing their prey, tigers, and
/ believe lions, though with the latter
have had no experience, almost in
variably 60 for the throat. though In
emo or two instances that have come
under my notice Of animals killed by
tigers they have evidently been first
hamstrungi these. probably. were the
work Of young and inexperienced
tigers. once saw a man charged and
knocked over by . panther, and he
only saved his throat by putting up his
arm, which, a. we'll as his shoulder,
the animal grasped with teeth and
claws Tho relative to whom alluded
was seized In q similar manner. and
three friends of mine who have been
mauled by tigers. and one by . lion
all describe the animal knocking them
), over by sheer force Of weight before
seixing them. / think, therefore, the
being knocked over by paw stroke il
Q fallaoy.
Any ono who knows anything about
elephants must be aware that theiI
trunks. and particularly the tip of the
trunk. Is the most delicate and sensi.
tive part of the animal. and that he
shields 1t from injury by every possible
means In his power. 1t is therefore
very unlikely that he would expose il
In the act Of charging. My expert.
spce, limited though it be, points to
the fact that an elephant, once he has
made up his mind to charge. curles up
his trunk tight. Before charging, and
In order to get wind Of his adversary,
be may indeed extend 1t. but once the
presence Of foe to be attacked is de-
tected the proboscis il put out Of the
way Of possible harm.
Bison-I am thinking of the Indian
animal. Bos gaurus-and buffaloes,
when they charge, invariably poke
their nose up in the air and commence
by running at you with their heads
we'll up. much In the manner of do
mestic cattle, and only lower their
horns when within few yards of OBJ
iect Of their attentions, This take
70 be mere matter of common sense
on the part of the animal. for. If he
puts his head down say even forty
yards away, he could not possibly see
where he was going.
Bears. when wounded, will, indeed,
often get up on their hind legs and
dance about from sheer rage, and will
also at times do 80 in order to get q
better view Of tho whereabouts, Of
their enemy; but when they charge.
whether 1t be at man mounted or on
foot. they invariably charge on all
tours.
In charging most animals give vent
70 certain vocal sounds-grunts or
roars-and this, 1t Is natural to sup
pose. II done with view to terri-
hytng and demorlizing the object they
are attacking, in fact. more often than
not 1t is mere bounce on the animals
part have often seen tigers roar
when charging who never really meant
m1scnleI, ana VINO, when mot by
bold front, turned of. No doubt In
the case of attacking their fellow an
imals. establishing funk" and 90 de-
moralization. these roars may prove
an aid in bringing their victim within
their grasp; but, as rule, when en-
gagged in pursuit of prey the feiids de-
Pene principally on their powers of
stealthy approach, and only roar at
the last moment before .seizing, with
view to paralyzing morally their in
tended victim.-Ldnd and Water.