Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-07-07
ON A TAP|R
W|LDS OF Brazil.
Bio PecCaries Go In HERDS
and Are Fierce Foes.
Often Charge.

the others yelling on the opposite side
and as soon as the swimmers reached
the shore they were put on the tapirS
trail and galloped after it, giving
tongue.
In couple of minutes we saw the
tapir take to the waters far upstream
and after it we went as fast as the
paddle could urge us through the wa
ter. We were not in time to head it.
but fortunately some Of the dogs had
come down to the rivers edge at the
very point where the tapir was about
to land. Two or three Of the dogs
were swimming. We were more than
half the breadth of the river away
from the tapir and somewhat down
stream when it dived. 1t made an as
tOnishingly long swim beneath the WA
ter this time. almost as If it had been
hippopotumus. for 1t passed complete
ly under our canoe and rose between
us and the hither bank. shot it, the
bullet going into its brain. while it was
thirty or forty yards from shore. 1t
sank ut once
Dangerous Peccaries.
The small peccaries go singly or in
small parties and when chased take
refuge in holes or hollow logs, where
they show valiant fight, but the big
peccaries 20 in herds Of considerable
size and are SO truculent that they are
reluctant to run and prefer either to
move slowly oil. chattering their tusks
and granting. or else actually to
charge.
Where much prosecuted the survi-
vors gradually grow more willing to
run. but their instinct Is not to run,
but to trust to their turbulence and
their mass action for safety. They in
dict fearful bite and frequently kill
dogs. They often charge the hunters,
and l have heard Of men being badly
wounded by them. while almost every
man who hunts them often is occasion
ally forced to scramble up a tree to
avoid charge. But have never
heard Of man being killed by them
They sometimes surround the tree in
which the man has taken refuge and
keep him up 1t.
Cherrie OH one occasion in Costa Rica
was thus kept up tree for several
hours by u great herd of 800 or 400 of
these peccaries, and this although he
killed several of them Ordinarily.
however, after making their charge
they do not turn. but pass on out Of
sight
Ugly Looking Objects.
Soon we heard the ominous grooming
Of the herd in front of us and almost
on each SIDE Then Benedetto Joined
us, and the dog appeared in the rear.
We moved slowly forward toward the
sound Of the fierce moaning grunts.
which were varied at times by a casta-
net chattering Of the tusks. Then we
dimly made out the dark forms of the
peccaries moving slowly to the left
Ny companions each chose tree to
climb at need and pointed out one for
me. fired at the half seen form Of a
hog through the vines, leaves and
branches. Colonel Rondon fred. fred
three more shots at other hogs, and
the Indian also fired. The peccariea
did not charge. Walking and trotting
with bristles erect, groaning and clack'
ing their tusks. they disappeared into
the jungle. We could not see one Of
them clearly, and not one was left
dead. But a few PAGES on we came
across one of my wounded ones stand.
ing at bay by a palm trunk. and l kill
ed It forthwith.