Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-07-22
RARE ANIMALS
And Strange Creatures Found BY the
Hunter In Tibet.

| Hunter In Tibet.
Tibet offers no attractions to the
tourist who requires luxurious travel
ing, to the sportsman and the natural
ist it is a veritable paradise, though
far from Edenic in some respects.
One Of the largest Of the mammalia
is the yak, or grunting OK. Standing
between and 6 feet high at the
shoulders, the bulk of this strange
looking creature Is not little exag-
gerated by the enormous growth of
hair upon the lower part Of the body
and tail Beneath the outer coat.
moreover, there is a layer Of fine
wool known as "pushim," which Is
highly priced for the making Of cloth.
The extraordinary tail is one Of the
| most conspicuous features of Tibetan
monasteries or lamaseries, being sus-
pended on poles, as streamers.
Throughout the east these tails are
used as fly whisks, and in China they
are dyed red and fixed to the roofs
Of summer residences as pendants.
/
snow, and of fierce disposition, the
hunting Of the yak is not to be light
| ly undertaken. In spite Of temper,
however, it is easily domesticated,
and forms an invaluable beast Of bur-
den, being wonderfully sure footed
and capable Of carrying great weights.
1t is, however, unable to eat corn; and
forced marches, exhausting alike to
man and beast, are often on this ac-
count necessary.
Barren and inhospitable, the high
table lands Of Tibet harbor yet other
hoofed animals as remarkable as the
yak-the chiru antelope, for example,
which like the strange saiga, has de-
Iveloped an enormous swollen nose. 1t
Is supposed that this enlarged size of
the nasal chamber Is directly due to
the need Of some special adaptation
for breathing the highly rarified air
Of these regions. The little goa, or
Tibetan gazelle, and a magnificent
wild sheep, the argali, manage like
the sun scorches by day and Icy
blasts prevail at night, and herds OF
wild dogs are ever on the prowl.
More difficult to stalk than any other
Tibetan game, the argali still further
allures the sportsman by the fact
that it carries superb horns, which
may attain a length Of 4S inches,
and a girth of 20 inches at the base.
Old rams will leap from a height of
80 feet with confidence.
The ibex and a very remarkable AMI
NAL known as the bharal, or blue sheep
Of Tibet, but which appears to be
more goat than sheep, also deserve
mention here.
The snow deer a beast nearly as
big as the great wapiti, has very
seldom fallen to the gun Of the Euro
pean. No complete specimen has yet
been sent to Europe. In this country
1t is represented only by five skulls
and horns in the British museum, and
as many more in different private COL
lections. The horns are Of great size,
the record In the number Of points
13-is in the British museum. The
spread between the tips Of the horns
Is over ground. Little Is known about
the creature, but it is conjectured that
this coloration Is protective, harmon
izing with patches Of snow and black
rocks among which 1t lives.
One of the most brilliantly colored
Of all monkeys is to be found in Tibet.
1t Is known as the orange snub-nosed
monkey. 1t lives in troops among the
taller trees. After its color the next
conspicuous feature about this animal
is its tip-tilted nose.
The great cats are worthily repre-
sented by the rare snow leopard, a
specimen Of which Is now to be seen
at the geological gardens in London.
Only twice previously has it been
brought to this country alive.-London
Mail.