The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-11-19

Among the game animals OF Africa
In regard 10 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 Ii
IBERIA and the adjacent districts of the
West Coast. For a long time after its
first discovery-and Il has been known
to naturalists for many years. although
specimens have always been rare in
museums--the pigmy species was sup
posed to closely resemble Its gigantic
relative in general habits; that is TO
say. II was regarded as being in the
main 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,
II has been stated. indeed, by DR..
Buttikopfer that in its general mode
of life the pigmy species is much more
like a 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 a series of interest.
ing feld-notes from the pen OF Capt.
l.. Murray of the East Surrey regi-
ment, England.
As the result of personal observa-
tion 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, II 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
sny degree essential to It's 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 the midst of dense bush.
or have such covert within easy reach.
When far removed from civilization.
these animals subsist on roots. a kind
of wild plum, and the leaves of va
rious shrubs and trees. Their favor
ite 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 I.
although Il is far from uncommon to
come across 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
aud do not, as has been suggested, as
ISOLATE in pairs, At night, however
they undoubtedly meet their fellows
at favorite spots. such as farms and
mud dips. Nevertheless. although Ia
some parts the bush is a 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 It's
solitary owner.
On the other hand, IL is compare
lively common to find the tracks OF a
COW hippo with well-grown calf at
her heels; and II 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, II
Is out OF the question TO verify th!s by
actual experience, as IL is impossible
for any human being TO follow the low
lhorny and twisting tunnels these orea'
lures make through the bush without
being detected long before reaching
the retreat of the owner"