Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-05
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society
ABOUT ELEPHANTS

Papa, where do the elephants
come from?"
The answer to this question n a
ANYBODY is apt to PROFOUND TO any
father when spring brings the cir
Gus to town is answered in a Nation
al Geographic Society bulletin as toI-
lows:
"Showmen prefer the Indian ele-
plant to the African on the score OF
disposition, but there is no more low
ing mother than the African female
for she V discards her young.
) 1t is quite common to see her lung
ing through the Rhodesian iunsle
followed by three of her babies. nine,
six and three years old, while q
fourth one is on the way: The ges-
tation period is two years.
Africa. of course. is the hunters
paradise ard there the elephant Is
moe apt u be shot tnan captured
and timed. OF the endless variety
of game, the pursuit of the elephant
is deemed the m ,st dangerous. In
British territory a license costs S125
to shoot four of the beasts. The
hunter starts out with a retinue OF
hundreds of natives who closely seal
the ground for 'spoor' tdung) ana
when it is apparent that a herd is
near the excitement becomes IN
tense. A huge bull of about four
tons with a grand pair of tusks Is
| sighted. One shot in exactly the
right spot Gust back of the shoui-
der) will bring him down. Although
the most short-sighted animal in the
world, he charges in fury If the nun
ter has been unlucky, and IN a rev
brief moments the valiant crowd mas
fled in terror. If a lucky shot, the
hunter has three or four mare
dollars worth of ivory, and the es-
static army of hungry savaSes de-
yours the carcass and all that cannot
be eaten at the time is carried PACK
to the village of huts, 20 rejoice the
hearts Cor rather the stomachs) OF
the women and children.
Elephant hunting in Burma and
in India takes different forms. In
India great long V-shaped stockades
are built, the arms of which are
sometimes a mile long. The ele-
plants are driven into the large
opening, little realizing that they are
Y liking into a trap, they are grad
ually driven down toward the apex
of the v, where they are forced
through a gate into a big pen.
I'm Burma instead of a great, far
ing V of the powerful nosts planted
in the ground. there are two con-
verging rows of lights fastened in
The hunting is done at night.
the elephants are Unanswered
the broad opening between tie
outer ends of the rows of lights, an
other row is thrown across the open
ing and the elephants retreat farther
down into the V, getting just as far
fca,, tha 1jObts nc nnSsihlp |
Then another row is thrown across
the opening, and this in turn is sue
by other line, the elephants
constantly retreating from the lights
and finally finding themselves at the
apex, with the choice of entering the
small stockade or breaking through
The Gordon of lights. The former
the lesser of the two evils to
he majority of them.
"Once inside the stockade two
.rained elephants draw up alongside
he best to be captured, n on each
and hold him between them
until a m. loops a big chain around
mis- foot and anc--ors him safely to
4 tree. There is a terrific struggle
by the wild elephant to get free once
more, and this often lasts for hours.
But even an elephant finds some
PONDS ne Cd1TO DuISt, anu AAAehiJ
becomes reconciled to them.
"Then the animal is left without
a thing to eat for days becoming
famished a..d wea'-. Next it a to
be taught that no effort it can put
forth can circum Sent the will of the
Often the latter fastens a
long chain about it's rec and bitches
a tame elephant at the other end.
Sometimes the captives resist with
such unconquerable determination
their necks are broken in the
struggle. Others are so adamantine
their spirit of resistance that they
for freedom to the bitter end
and never yield to training.
But as soon as n yields it is
treated gently, and it finds out that
the way to elephantine happiness
lies in accepting tn Keepers VIII.
In about a month it settles down
patiently to the duty of being a good,
beast of burden"