Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-03-11
GIRAFFE HUNTS.
EXCITING SPORT ON THB KALABARI DESERT
They Lead the Hunter Long, Stern Chase Before
Being Oapursd-GrOwing Scarcsr Each Year
Through the Hunters Devastating Work.
Percy Selops in Philadelphia Press

There were plenty Of giraffe to be
met with on the borders Of the Kala-
hari desert dozen years ago, and may
be are now, though I doubt it. These
beautiful animals have a wide geo.
graphical range, but are very local and
may be plentiful in one district while
they are practically unknown in tho
adjoining one. Personally, l always
had great conjunction IN destroying
them, and only did so when meat was
"sine qua non." for the killing Of so
largo 4 creature was an act of mercy
toward some half-starYed natives.
He must indeed be cold blooded who
does not experience some slight pang
from the expression Of dying deer or
antelope, and the effect produced on
me by the eye of an expiring giraffe is
more than / care 30 express. No other
animal has sucn an eye, not even the
gazelle. But a hunter must not be ten
der hearted, or he had better give up
altogether.
OF late years these animals have not
unnaturaly been getting much scarcer,
and, perhaps, with the exception OF the
souare.nosed or white rhinocerOs, mono
of the larger game except the elephant
have appeared 10 show the effects OF
modern firearms moro than the subjects
Of this article.
Their great innate timidity and love
OF secluslon being more marked thans
in the antelope proper, they have not
the inquisitiveness OF the latter, which,
although stlgmatized as closet natural
history, is fact all the same. But
with a giraffe to get wind Of man means
a stampede, and that 10 some purpose.
In the negborhood north Of the Molopo
river, both while on foot and on horse
back, killed several.
OF course the latter is the more GER
tain plan, for In their numbering way
giraffes are swift. A good horse has
generally all his work cut out 70 run
them down, and il ia often case Of
long, stern chase before one can get
shot likely to be effective. As remark
ed, l sometimes got them on foot
stalked them-and must say, putting on
one side the extra excitement OF a good
gallop over rough ground. prefer the
latter way where sufficient cover ad-
mits Of its practcability.
These chances, however, occur but
rarely; the country the giraffe frequents
is but sparsely dotted with timber, at
all events In the Kalahari.
One day happened to be on foot, my
horse having fallen lame after Rallop
after some koOdoos 3 couple OF days be-
fore. Away out on the 7eldt l caught
sight OF the long necks OF troop OF
giraffe under a clump Of cameeldorns.
They were quite indistinct, owing 10
the distance.
To return for the horse meant an
hours waste OK time, and By then the
game might have been anywhere. Then
he was lame, too, so l made up my
mind to get one by stalking II possible.
Not far to the eastward Of them
small herd OF hartoeest was feeding,
and I had to debouch 70 the left, keep
ing as low as / could, and using she ant
hills and scattered brush and boulders
as cover.
It was tough work crawling over the
rough veldt, and 0y the time had
reached a small hoppe, some half mile
nearer my quarry, was not sorry for a
temporary rest 70 make observations.
Inc game ud4 uOb polCeptlSiy suns
ed. but / found that to be perfectly
safe as regards the wind I must still
sheer of to TIE left, and this added TO
the distance between myself and the
CRATES still more. There was nothing
for it, however, but to 90 so, and an
other detour brought ne 70 my next
hating place, about half a mile from
the animals, apparently still obliyious
20 my approach. 1 could now make
them out pretty weli-four large and
three smaller ones, one Of them tower
ing above the Others, the old bull, no
doubt.
As far as I was concerned, he was
quite safe. must indeed be hungry to
tackle any OF his meat. OF al the in
siderable rankness, the flesh OF an old
bull giraffe IS about the worst; some
thing bet1esg buck killed during the
rut and an old wild boar.
As = rule hunters are rot particular
y fastidiOus 10 ths way Of viands; an