Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-30
GIRAFFES GETTING SCARCE.
BOERS KILLING THEM OFF TO GET
THEIR LEATHER.
1t Is Used for WhfpInshcs-The AMI
mails Are Easily Ridden Down
by Horsemen If Pushed
to n GaIlop.
From the London Times.

From the London Times.
The untimcly death Of the young South
African giraffe which lately reached Eng
land serves again to remind US Of the in
creasing scarcity Of these animals and OF
the immense difficulties which attend
their capture. Il is a remarkable fact
that until the year 1855 no living giraffe
had ever reached Europe from South AZ
RIGA. The old stock, SO long familiar III
the Geological society's gardens. were DE-
scended from animals captured in horao-
fan by VI. Thibaut. n French trader IN
the Soudan, as far back as lS4. These
North African giraffes bred freely in cap
t.vity.. and the last Of this stock died SO
In iSs5 the Geological society was for
tunate enough TO purchase a young i%-
male captured 10y Boer hunters IN South
east Africa. This animal has thrlven re,
thai It's union with the young male which
has Just died would result in the repro
duetion Of a fresh family 81 Tbr thess s5Fa Ese
rope giraffes have been OF late yeats,
thanks principally to the closing OF me
Soudan trade routes by the mahoi aI,
herents. extremely scarce. and the supply
in other parts of Africa is without doGSi
wear Even in the further Soudan these
animals are being gradually eXterminatec.
Giraffe hide-which in the mature am,
mails attains 4 thickness OF at least an
inch upon the upper p~arts,is q common,
" eagerly sought after by all native.
south ana nOTlH q llc lhh'oA
and the demand for IL Is. owing TO me ex-
termination of the rhinocerous ana hlppG-
potamus, rapidly increasing. In South ATT
ca the value of the skin OF the ful! grown
giraffe is. at the present tune. even lar
up country. about 50. and 10 secure TINS
reward large numbers Of CRATES. wher-
ever these animals are plentiful. are an
nually slain: pTincipaliy to tI supply coe
lunial rawhide whips. 1t Is ~ithlh .ne
writer's knowledge, that quite Tese1tly,
81, %eiraffes have been shot by native hunt
ers near Lake Ngami. That sIausnter'
within a limited district, reP ,Ss aHter nntua-
ton which is. month by month and wesk
fy week, going forward in the African con-
With the horse the chase Of the girafe
IS rendered comparatively easy; a e ba
native hunters have. unfortunately . Inc "a
sbat s;raTes are possessed OF very con-
siderable speed and great staying Pomsr;
Rut the secret of their downfall Is very
easily discovered. If the hunter presses
his horse at topmost speed with whip ana
spur for the first two or three mlles OF une
chase. he can run right up TO MS game Sun.
less the troop has gained an inordinate
START, and either shoot the animal ne SIN.
giles out easily from the saddie ebo or ut to- a !.
standstill. AT their own pace cranes can
run for hours together. but. pressed De
fali victims. A solid lead bullet, planted
somewhere near the root OF the Crane $
tail. penetrateS through the snort bodS
easily to a vital part, and the animal IaIls
crashing 20 the earth. With n broken limb
the giraffe is at once disabled
The pace OF the giraffe is. from its NOR
dinate length of leg. wonderfully deceptive.
Viewed for the first time a troop OF these
animals in their quieter PAGES appear 10
be cowing slowly. With his horse at a can
fer the hunter quickly finds out his mistake
and presently presses his mount 70 IT'S Ut
most speed II the country Is larry open.
and he is well mounted and has a Iair start
nc NAV expect TO ride UP close to his quar-
rvs Stems at a hard gallop in ffteen MN
utes. Pushed TO their utmost Sped Tid,r a
walk seemed to steal over the ground Win
extraordinary ease and smoothness, exhib.
It a marked change IN Their antiHn; alters "a iI 10
a series OF pounding leaps; the
long necks swing up and down, ana Inc
are whirled round and round with a loud.
swishing noise. which can be plainly heard
as the s, rider srs a aId ssneeiar,y t1 of a ae blunt az
cow is extremely good, somewhat Ike
veal, with a gamelike flavor. The tongue
is also very good. But the marrow bones
furnish the greatest luxury of the South
African hunting veldt A giraffe marrow
bone. roasted over the camp fire and sawr
in half. furnishes. with the accompaniment
of toast or bread. a truly epicurean repas'
for a couple OF hungry men: -,o.s
were 10 be found inhabiting Africa from
tie borders of Abyssinia down to the or
Grge river. south Oh WHICH IL S'tLAS hoID
full whether their range ever extended
At the present time their distribution !:
far more circumscribed. and they are no.
now to be encountered in South Africs
until the Northern Kalahari. khams..
country. and Natabeleland are reached
In Central Africa they are scarce. while
ir the western part of the continent they
are quite unknown. In East Africa, III.
Scudan. and Somaliland, they are fairly
abundant.
Now that the Transvaal hunting Roer:
finding it more profitable occupation
have turned their attention to the capture
instead of the slaughter of the wild ami
mails in the countries beyond their hor
ders. II is possible that we may occasion
ally hear of young specimens for sale
Rinderpest has. however. done much &
thin the herds left south of the Zambesi
and the difficulties attending the transpor
OF the young animals. even when 20
down TO the cape. are. as the latest i'm
portation has unhaprily demonstrate
very considerable. Khama's country. nov
corrected with Cape Town by rail. !
probably the hest and most accessibl
country in which to attempt the captur
OF young specimens. and the ~co-operatiol
OF that intelligent and loyal chief coul
without doubt be readily secured.