The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-07-07
PITS FOR ELEPHANTS.
THE way THE BIG BEASTS IN IN
OLA ARE CAUGHT

>
Ola ARE CAUGHT.
After They Have Fallen Into the
warfly Laid Traps Trained Pnchy-
der.as Are Used MS Lures and Aids
IN Completing the Capture.
It will probably interest many of our
readers to know how elephants in the
interior parts of India are caught in
pits In the first place, one generally
knows the run OF elephants, IN which
case several pits are dug in different
places. and they are so well made that
sometimes one has to be careful how
one walks, for there is the possibility
Of bad fall and broken neck or legs.
The pits are dug in several places, the
size of them being about eight to nine
feet square and about the same depth.
at the bottom of the pit lot OF
branches and leaves are placed, SO as
to break the fall OF the elephant as
much as possible over the mouth OF
the pit several stout branches are laid
and on the top of these some turf.
leaves and grass, SO as TO MAKE the
place look as natural as possible On
the occasion of which am writing six
or eight pits had been dug in the above
manner. and we expected news every
day Of q catch.
One morning just as we we're going
out to DO some inspection work for
est guard came running Up to say that
there had been Il fall in one Of these
pits. we ordered an cid tusker to be
taken of at once to the scene OF .op-
erations. We got to the place hours
before he arrived and found Il small
COW elephant. She got furious when
any one went close to the pit and tried
10 seize US with her trunk NO time
was to be lost We set to work at
once making rope out OF fiber which
we had brought with US. In the mean
time the head guard had got together a
lot of coolies cutting branches and
young saplinSs.
Having got everything ready, the
tusker's mahout who had come With
u.s. made a moose out of one OF the
ropes just made. The next thing was
to try to throw the moose over the ele-
plants neck. The mahout tried sew
eral times, but failed. She was simply
furious at this and trampled on the
| rope and charged the sides OF the PIT.
at last the nahout made Splendld
shot and got the rope round her neck
and then the tug of war began. She
tried all sorts of things to get the rope
off, but it was no good. We had the
tree Then she stood in the pit quietly
for long time We now had nothing
to do but to wait till the tusker came.
When he arrived he had look at the
COW in the pit, and they touched each
others trunk and exchanged elephan-
tine conversation Then the rope
| which was round the captive's neck
was fastened round the old tusker's
body. When all was ready the coolies
began throwing small pieces OF wood
and branches into the pit Several
rather heavy bits hit her on the trunk,
which she seemed to object to. She
slipped about on these small pieces and
lay down several times and groaned
Nothing seemed to move her, although
several bricks, etc, We're thrown at
her.
At last the mahout hit on happy
idea. He had swagger red handlSer
! chief. which he took out with n -four
ish and licked it at her. Up she got at
once, but only to fall again. The same
thing was repeated several times 1t
was pitable when she lay down and
groaned and looked quite helpless. The
old tuskcr was getting sick of this and
pulled for all he was worth. which
made matters worse At last the lady,
obtaining foothold. got her forefeet
LIE Top or LIe PIT, anu lA4t-l tIit Olti
tuSller renewed his efforts. Up she
came, not on her legs, but on her side.
She was dragged in this manner for q
few yards. and then the tuslier evi-
IDENTIFY thought he was a bit of Il brute
to go on In this unmannerly way and
stopped Then she got on to her feet
and trulnpeted and at once made dive
into the jungle
Eventually we got her back TO camp
at p. m. feeling very cold and tired.
But we had not finished yet. The next
thing was to see her tied Up with the
others. We had to take lanterns from
the camp, besides torches, for it was
quite dark. to see her tied UP. The old
tusker got between the newly captur
cd COW and the Inahout. who had 4
moose ready and got in between the
fore legs OF the tusber and slipped the
moose round the hind leg OF the COW
and thcn tied the end of the rope to q /
tree. When this was done and she /
found herself tied up she tried TO break |
the rope. stamped on tho ground Will! |
rage. and when any one went fairly !
close to her she made charge ut him. |
Once or twice the old tusker twigged |
this little game, turned round and gave |
her what for" Then the other rope. |
which was round the cows neck, was |