The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-08-21
FATE OF ELEPHANTS
HANGS IN BALANCE
NAY GO WAY OF BUFFALOES
AND BECOME NEARLY EN-
TINCT-DRIVE IN AFRICA


Will the famous African elephant
soon be as nearly extinct as is the
buffalo of the American plains?
Cable dispatches state that the
South African Cape Council has de-
cided to exterminate elephants, which
are regarded as a menace to the
farmers whose crops they despoil and
whose employees they sometimes
kill.
Sir Harry Johnston, famous Afri-
can authority, tells of his experience
with African elephants in a commu-
:nication to the National Geographic
Society which is quoted in a bulletin
from the society as follows:
"If after many years OF trial the
African elephant is pronounced to be
hopeless as a domestic animal (and
it should be remembered that most
male African elephants in captivity
have shown themselves to be hope
less savage then at least for its
magnificent ivory the creature is
worth preserving as an asset to the
State. If the Indian elephant shows
himself to be more docile than the
African elephant, it must be remem-
bered, on the other hand, that he is
of very little value for his ivory.
Zone day a baby elephant was pre-
sented to me by an Uganda chief. 1t
is a sad thing to relate, but three
men were killed in attempting to
capture the first elephant. l had ex-
pressed a wish one day for some ele-
phants to experiment with in domes-
tication, and the natives, with their
usual desire to please me, were so
ardent in their determination to graf
ify my wish and so determined in
their pursuit of the young elephant
that the mother elephant knocked
over and killed three of them. But
finally they succeeded in their object,
capturing the calf, and to my great
surprise it trotted into camp behind
one of the men.
This little creature at the time
only four feet high. In two days it
had become perfectly tame, and
would follow q human being as read
ily as his own mother. 1t was easy
enough to feed him with milk, be-
cause all that was required was a
bottle with a long neck. This bottle
was filed with cows milk diluted
with water, and poured down the
elephants throat. Soon all that one
had to do was to place the neck OF
the bottle in the elephants mouth,
and the intelligent creature wound
its trunk around the neck of the bot
tie, tilted it up, and absorbed the
contents. For several weeks the ele-
phant throve and became most de-
lightful pet. It would allow any one
to ride on its back, and seemed to
take pleasure and amusement in this
exercise. 1t would find its way
through diverse passages into my
slGung-room, not upsetting or injur-
ing anything, but deftly smelling
and examining objects Of curiosity
with its trunk.
"At the same time we had in cap
tivity q young zebra, which was also
to be the pioneer of a domesticated
striped horse. These two orphans,
the elephant and the zebra, became
greatly attached to each other,
though perhaps there was more en-
thusiastic affection on the part of
tie elephant, the zebra at times get
ting q little bored with constant em-
braces. Alas and alack! both ele-
phant and zebra died eventually
from the EMBELLISHMENTS, to them,
Of cows milk.
Several other elephants Of the
same age-that is to say, about four
to six months old-were delivered
into my hands, but all eventually
died. Cows milk appears to give these
creatures eventually an incurable
diarrhea, while all attempts at that
early age to substitute for milk fari-
naceous substances have also result
ed in similar disease. ! do not say
that it Is impossible to rear young
elephants by hand for we have not
made sufficient number Of expert
ments, but it is very difficult.
therefore favor the plan of attempt
ing to catch elephants Of perhaps q
year old, at which age they do not
require milk as an exclusive diet.
One specimen of this age was caught
and was readily tanned, and for aught
] know is still alive in captivity"