THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 



quantities of vegetable food. Entire fields of corn, 

 rice, sugar-cane, etc., are sometimes eaten off and 

 trodden underfoot in a single night. Sometimes 

 the natives' v^hole crop of corn is eaten up or 

 spoiled by Hippos, resulting in subsequent famine 

 in the village. 



However, any ordinary, upright, fairly solid fence 

 is sufficient to keep back a Hippo ; but natives are 

 proverbially indolent and improvident, preferring 

 to do the minimum amount of work and trust to 

 luck. 



Many of the rivers in South Africa cease to flow 

 during the dry season ; and along their courses 

 there are a good many deep pools in which water 

 is retained all the year round. In the haunts of 

 the Hippo these are known as " Zeekoegats " 

 (Sea Cow holes), which are stated to be deepened 

 and enlarged by the animals themselves. Although 

 so bulky and large, an ordinary barbed wire fence of 

 three strands three or four feet in height will keep 

 back a Hippo ; and there is, therefore, little or no 

 excuse for farmers in the neighbourhood of Hippos 

 to clamour for their destruction on the plea that 

 they damage their crops. 



Before granting permission for the destruction 

 of any protected wild animal of the country, a 

 thorough inquiry should be made, or a competent 

 authority on the subject be asked to investigate 

 and report. 



A Hippo does not give one the impression that it 



VOL. Ill l6l II 



