Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08
BUFFALOES IMPERIL
LIFE OF ZOO SUPERINTENDENT
Fast Dash Into African
Swamp Enables DIR.
Mann to Escape.
Six Fine Young Cnus to
Be Brought Back to
United States.

Caught in the path of stampeding
herd of 200 African buffaloes was the
perilous experience of DIR. William
NJ. Mann, superintendent of the Ma
tional Geological Park, who now Is
heading big game expedition in the
Tanganyika territory of East Africa
for the Smithsonian Institution.
DR. Mann and his companion, q ma
tive boy, escaped after fast dash
through a swamp, in which they sank
ankle deep in mud at every step.
The stampede started when the boy
fired into the herd. The two were
saved when the herd broke and went
laundering away in two directions.
Capture Gnu Calves.
DIR. Mann's latest letter. In which
he describes this experience, is from
Lake Manyara, in the Kenya colony.
The expedition already has made con-
siderable progress in its collections.
which include six gnu calves. DR..
Mann believes he has an excellent OPP
portunity Of getting these home alive.
Extracts from DR.. Mann's latest
letter received by the Smithsonian
Institution follow:
After securing number Of Wam-
buru men and having obtained por-
ters from the Sultan at Umbugwe, we
headed for Lake Manyara. A file Of
63 men took our equipment. At first
we followed elephant paths through
high grass and swampy land, and
then into open, dry mimosa scrub,
and finally on to the broad fiat near
the shore of the lake.
Then things commenced to hap
pen. We saw a small herd of giraffe
just as we left the forest, and on the
fiat there was mixed herd of gnu
and zebra some 200 strong.
Drove Herds Ahead.
LAS we walked along the shore of
the lake we kept driving the herds
along ahead Of us until do not know
how many there were in all.
Two days Of easy going brought us
to the camp here. by the side Of
stream that directly behind us tumbles
in cascades for about 700 feet down
the mountain.
Our natives consist of head man
from Uganda, d cook from Rhodesia,
camera assistant from Zanzibar, and
the two tribes Umbugwe and Wam-
buru. The latter are fine lot.
THE other day while stalking a
gnu, / saw fine male lion stalking
herd Of impalla that paid not the
knowing that they were more swift
than he and therefore not in any
danger. They ran from us, however
and attracted the attention of Mr.
Lion who walked slowly back into the
bush.
ION our return from this jaunt the
herd Of Wilebeest or gnu kept in front
of us. three bulls staying behind and
shaking their heads and tails at us.
Finally they rounded a bend of the
shore and when we got near camp
we saw the lot in the woods half a
mile inland.
Young One is Captured.
THE lake here extends almost to
the foot Of the hills. Several of us
crouched In the bush and one crept
through the bush back Of the herd
and started them up. They galloped
along the shore of the lake until they
were near us, when we jumped up
with the loudest yells possible. The
herd scattered; some shot into the
bush, some passed us, and others
turned about and went back along
the lake; but so or so took to the
water. There was young one with
them and we went after it, running it
into a reed bed where we finally got
a rope over It's neck. 1t nearly got
one Of our boys: but we rugged car
rying case from a gunny sack and two
poles and got it into camp.
1T is about six months old, fine
and husky and feeding we'll, and there
is a splendid chance Of getting it
home. 1t is in a little coral 20 feet
from where l now sit. calmly eating
grass. 1t was a beautiful drive, no.
body hurt and everybody tired, even
the herd Of gnu.
Our camp is full of small stock
already. Our boys sprinted after a
baboon troop and captured three
young ones. We have some cages of
birds, a moongoose-like animal that l
have never seen before, and the young