Amador ledger., 1910-05-06
THE UGLY RHINOCEROS
Flabby and Stumpy, Yet He Is as
Quick as a Flash.
NOTED FOR HIS KEEN SCENT.

uppearS 10 De neuNiiy uninterrupted Dy
nature as regards his anatomy. His
fabby, loutish body. Short stumpy
legs. small unbllnlSing. 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.
II lying down at the tina he Is on
his legs and facing the cause of dis
turbance in a flash. If satisfied that
the danger is real. he turns in sec
ond and is galloping up wind at
pace that compares favoraby 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 straight race be-
tween 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 20 hold his own.
Being very sure footed. obstacles,
cracks in the ground and small holes
which would cause IL horse to stumble,
If not come to grief altogether, have
no effect on him whatever. and he will
gallop down one side of a khor and
up the other. leaving loose stones and
debris rattllng. 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
10 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 he may lose owing to his bad eye
sight 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.
If lying down, he almost invariably
does so with his nose pointed down
wind. consequently the hunter ap-
proaching. 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 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 on to
him, feeding on the ticks with which
he swarms. and on the approach of
danger flutter 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
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 a rhino charging caravan.
Yet this action is nearly always forced
upon him and occurs through stupidi-
ty rather than premeditated malice.
The head of Il caravan. say. of 300
porters, extending over two or three
miles of country. passes TO windward
of rhino. He gets the scent and
moves up wind and perhaps nears the
center of the caravan. when. being
thoroughly alarmed. he turns off lit
tie. 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 load
or two hastily cast aside by the por-
ters on his approach. He then passes
on TO leeward of the caravan and. be-
ing at last delivered from the annoy
ing 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 a
mile or more away with the deliberate
intention of exterminating the cara
van.
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.
Tvo Wavs