The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-10-06
THE UGLY H|NOCEROS
FIabby and Stumpy, Yet He Is as
Quick as a Flash.
NOTED FOR HIS KEEN SCENT,

The Stupid Looking Brute Has q Nose
That Makes Up For His Almost Use.
! less Little Eyes-Hs Can Wheel at
Full Speed Like q Polo Pony.
At first sight the African rhinoceros
appears to be heavily handicapped by
nature as regards his anatomy. His
fabby, loutish body, short, stumpy
legs. small. %unblinking, piglike eyes
and %prehensile upper lip all combine
to give him an air Of stupid inactivity.
Yet let him once scent danger, and
how quickly is this idea dissipated.
If lying down at the time, he Is on
his legs and facing the cause Of dis
turbance in a fash. II satisfied that
the danger is real, he turns in a Sec
ond and is galloping up wind at a
pace that compares favorably with
that Of a good horse.
To avoid distractions he can turn
and wheel at full speed like a pole
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 1t usually does, Of black cotton
soil and ordinary weld, the rhino would
be fully able to hold bis own.
Being very sure footed. obstacles,
cracks in the ground and small holes
which would cause a horse to stumble,
If not come to grief altogether. have
no effect on him whatever. and be will
gallop down one side Of a khor and
up the other. leaving loose stones and
debris rafting. but without one 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 exercising very
much care. can by stalking. should the
ground be fairly favorable, easily get
within twenty yards before firing, al
ways provided the approach is made
from the leeward side. Any advan-
tage be may lose owing to his bad eye
sight is fully made up to him by his
sense Of smell.
The phrase "a nose like a 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.
If 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. N
In the daytime the rhino bird. or
oxpecker (Buphaga africana,. acts a
a protection to him. sleeping and wax
ing. There is a superstition among
the natives that these small birds per-
form the duties of sentry. 10 a GER
tain extent this. is true. They are al
ways fitting about and hanging or to
him, feeding on the ticks with which
he swarms. and on the approach of
danger 1utter about with little hoarse
cries, which have the effect of rousing
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
II 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 a rhino charging a caravan.
Yet this action is nearly always forced
upon him and occurs through stupidi-
ty rather than premeditated malice.
The head Of a caravan, say, Of 800
porters, extending owe two or three