The sun., 1907-09-15
THE MYSTERIOUS OKAPI.
Lieut.. Alexander Tells How lie Caught
One VI the Shysst 0S Animals.

Lieut.. Boyd Alexander told tho Royal
Geograp aphical Society in London recently
how he captured an okspi In Africa a year
ago. Tho okapi is a variety OF antelope
and is among the shyest Of creatures
shy that few African natives have ever
seen 1t and no white hunter had heard OF it
up TO the time specimen was discovered
by Sir Harry Johnst on some years ago.
The okapi taken by Lieut.. Alexander
could not be taken alive TO Europe. Il was
30 timid and shrinking that it could not
thrive in the presence OF man. and then the
difficulties of travel forbade it's trarspor-
taton. Its skin is now being mounted for
the Natural History Museum Of London.
Lieut.. Alexander said that al Angu, on the
Welle -Makua. he first heard Of the okeci in
that region. The party spent three weeks
In the efror. to obtain a specimen.
They found that it's haunts are small
streams running through swampy ground.
where grows a plant some six feet high
whose young shoots, punching at the top,
are an essential part Of the animals food.
Here il roams about. sngly or in pairs. and
the natives said that sometimes three are
found together.
The natives added that they had very sell
dom seen the animal. and this statement
was readily believed, for Capt. Gosling.
occasions that he was near the animal. did
Tot catch glimpse Of IL, for II was perfectly
concealed among the leaves. But three
weeks OF study revealed it's habits we'll.
In the night the okapi wanders along in the
mud and water In search OF it's food. Capt.
Gosling found It feeding as late as A. NJ,
but after this hour the animal retires 10 tho
seclusion OF the forest, whore IL remains
until nighttali.
Owing to its restless nature and keen
hearing. the thick foliage Of the plant on
which il feeds and the perfect seclusion Of
its forest retreats the natives cay they are
never able to kill the okapi with their wea-
pons; II is almost impossible to tack II and
the few specimens they have killed were
Jose Lopez. q Portuguese collector in
the employ OF Lieut.. Alexander. followed .
solitary animal for three successive morn
ings In the neighborbood OF q stream. He
observed that on leaving the water tbs
two large trees about 100 yards from slis
With the help Of the natives he dug a pit
four and a half feet deep between the trees
and carefully conoealed It with branches
again approached tho strssm and heard tho
n0tne OF the okapi a. Il rushed away. An
instant latsr there was Q crash and tho
little animal was struggling In the pit.
The native assistants, lying In wait, at
onoe secured II.
The rstives say they know no other
animal 70 mysterious a. the okapi. In their
opinion IL In always on the move and never
lies down to slsep
Lopez's obseryations sesm TO bear out
this assertion. On every occasion whom he
heard II feeding Il simply paused TO take q
leaf here and there and thsn moved on
again.
DR.; Ray Lancaster IL now examining all
the skins and skulls Of the okapi that have
thus far been brought to Eirope-abous
twenty. Nearly every specimen differs
greatly from every othsr specimen. It b
ono OF the most variable animate that have
spr'; un,l.r Dr.. Lankesesrs obssgvaAeo :