The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1908-11-13

Among the game animals of Africa
in regard to whose habits and mode
of life our information has hitherto
been exceedingly vague and unsatis-
factory, may be included the pigmy
hippopotamus of the forests of LII
IBERIA and the adjacent districts of the
West Coast. For long time after its
to naturalists for many years, although
specimens have always been rare in
museums pigfhy species was sup
posed to closely resemble its gigantic
relative in general habits; that Is to
say, it was regarded as being in the
main a water rather than land ami
NAL According, however, to reports
from some of the comparatively few
travellers who in former days visited
Liberia, this is altogether wrong.
1t has been stated, indeed, by DR..
Buttikopfer that in it's general mode
of life the pigmy species is much more
like wild pig than an ordinary hip
popotamus, and that it commonly goes
about the tropical forests in pairs, to
a great extent without regard to the
neighborhood of rivers and lakes.
These observations are, in the main,
fully confirmed by series of interest
ing field-notes from the pen of Capt.
L. Murray of the East Surrey regi-
ment, England.
AS the result of personal observa-
ton extending over a period of nearly
four years, and from trustworthy in
formation obtained from both Euro
peans and natives, Capt. Murray is of
opinion that the pigmy hippopotamus
is fairly common throughout the pro-
tectorate of Sierra Leone and Liberia
As rule, it frequents the densest
patches of covert in the forest, rarely
leaving such shelter, except, perhaps,
at nighttime to visit some adjacent
farm for food. Rivers do not seem in
any degree essential to its comfort,
swamps and marshes-especially
where there is two or three feet of
soft mud beneath the surface-being
far more in favor, provided that such
spots are in tho midst of dense bush
or have such covert within easy reach
When far removed from civilization,
these animals subsist on roots, kind
of wild plum, and the leaves of va
rious shrubs and trees. Their favor
lite foods are, however, cassada root,
gourds, Indian corn, etc.; but these, of
course, are Injuries only to be OBJ
tanned close to towns and villages;
although it is far from uncommon to
come across a cassada field that is
visited nightly by these creatures and
to find the plants uprooted in all d.
rections.
The narrator goes on to observe that
his experience leads him to believe
that these dwarf hippos are solitary,
and do not, as has been suggested, as
sociate in pairs. At night, however,
they undoubtedly meet their. fellows
at favorite spots, such as farms and
mud-dips. Nevertheless, although in
some parts the bush is perfect net
work of tunnels and runs made by
these hippos, Capt. Murray never dis
covered from the tracks that any one
such run is used by any other than its
solitary owner.
On the other hand, it is compare
lively common to find the tracks of a
cow hippo with well-grown calf at
her heels; and it would seem quite
likely that this may have given rise
to the idea that the adults usually as
sociate in pairs. In the daytime the
pigmy hippos resort to the densest
shelter they can find, probably for
the purpose of repose, although, espe-
cially in Sierra Leone and Liberia, it
is out of the question to verify this by
actual experience, as it is impossible
for any human being to follow the low,
thorny and twisting tunnels these crea-
lures make through the bush without
being detected long before reaching
the retreat of the owner.