Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-09-28
THE UGLY RHlNocERos.
FIabby and stumpy, Yet He Is as
Quick as a Flash.

Quick as a Flash.
At first sight the African rhinoceros
appears to be heavily handicapped by
nature as regards his anatomy. His
fiabby, loutish body, short stumpS
legs, small, unblinking, piglike eyes
and prehensile upper lip all combine
TO give him an air of stupid inactiVl-
ty. Yet let him once scent danger,
and how quickly is this idea dissipat-
ed. II lying down at the time, he Is
on his legs and facing the cause OF
disturbance in flash. II satisfied
that the danger is real, he turns In
second and is galloping up wind at a
place that compares favorably with
that of good horse.
To avoid distractions he can turn
and wheel at full speed like polo
pony and is capable Of keeping up the
pace for miles. In a straight race be-
tween a rhinoceros and a horse over
two miles Of the average country in
which the former is met with, consist
ing, as it usually does, Of black cotton
soil and ordinary weld, the rhino
would be fully able to hold his own.
Being very sure footed, obstacles,
cracks in the ground and small holes
which would cause a horse to STUN
BILE, If not come to grief altogether,
have no effect on him whatever, and
ne will gallop down one side Of khor
and up the other, leaving loose stones
and debris rafting, but without any
false step.
His great, physical defect is his
sight, his eyes being Of very little use
to him, and the hunter may walk
straight up to him in open country
till within 100 yards and, without ex-
ercising very much care, can by stalk
ing, should the ground be fairly ia
vorable, easily get within twenty
yards before firing always provided
the approach is made from the lee
ward side. Any advantage he may
lose owing to his bad eyesight is fully
made up to him by his sense of smell.
The phrase "a nose like fox ter
rier" is often applied to keenness Of
scent. This should rather be "a nose
like a rhinoceros." There is very lit
tie chance of getting on terms with
him if the approach is made from
windward.
II lying down, he almost invariably
does so with his nose pointed down
wind, consequently the hunter ap-
preaching, as he naturally should,
from the leeward side, has only the
quarry's defective sight and hearing
to contend with.
In the daytime the rhino bird, or
oxpecker (Buphaga africana), acts as
a protection to him, sleeping and walk
ing. There is a superstition among
the natives that these small birds per-
form the duties of sentry. To a GER
tain extent this is true. They are al
ways fitting about and hanging on to
him, feeding on the ticks with which
he swarms, and on the approach Of
danger fiutter about with little hoarse
cries, which have the effect Of rous-
ing him and, If continued, cause him
to rise up and look around.
1t is almost impossible to calculate
correctly what the action Of a rhino
will be on becoming aware Of danger.
No two Of them seem to behave in the
same way in similar circumstances.
On the whole, it is safe to say that If
only disturbed he Will retreat, but
should he be actually annoyed and
see his enemy he will retaliate and
charge.
Serious loss and delay are often
caused by rhino charging a caravan.
Yet this action is nearly always fore
ed upon him and occurs through stu
pidity rather than premeditated NAL
ice The head Of the caravan, say, of
300 porters, extending over two or
three miles of country, passes to wind
ward of rhino. He gets the scent
and moves up wind and perhaps nears
the center of the caravan, when, be-
ing thoroughly alarmed, he turns Off
little, only to strike the tail end.
Being now puzzled and seeing at
last, as he thinks, the original cause
of his annoyance, he charges straight
through, on his way horning a load or
two hastily cast aside by the porters
on his approach. He then passes on
to leeward of the caravan, and, being
at last delivered from the annoying
scent, moves on into more peaceful
territory. Yet person who had not
watched his progress from the start
would think that he had come from
mile or more away with the deliber-
ate intention of exterminating the
caravan.
On the whole, it may be said that
the disposition Of the rhino is on a
par with that of most animals and
many human beings-they wish to be
left alone, and unless worried they
will not make trouble.-London Field.