NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



savage and tenacious manner and with great power, 

 for the muscles of its jaws and neck are large and 

 strong. Though such a formidable opponent to 

 tackle, when once captured and treated kindly it 

 becomes surprisingly tame, docile, and affection- 

 ate. When taken into captivity very young, or 

 when about half grown, ratels become as tame as 

 domestic dogs, and make the most amusing of pets. 

 If the cage be large and roomy the ratel plays all 

 sorts of antics. Trotting to one end of the cage it 

 quickly turns and, taking a short, swift run, thrusts 

 its head between its forepaws, arches its back, and 

 bowls along like a football. One which I have in 

 captivity is as tame as any domestic dog. On an 

 occasion I gave it its liberty in a small hall. My 

 friend had a fox terrier, which instantly began 

 barking at the ratel. The latter, without the 

 slightest warning, made a short rapid rush at the 

 dog, closing itself up like a hedgehog and trun- 

 dling like a big hairy ball over the floor. The 

 terrier skipped out of the way, and when the im- 

 petus with which the ratel had launched itself was 

 expended, it raised its head and glanced around. 

 Instantly it was up and at the terrier again. Its 

 energy was astonishing. Round and round the 

 room it chased the dog, and every time it came 

 within a few yards of it the ratel rolled itself at the 

 dog. Evidently it thought the performance excel- 

 lent fun, for all the time it gave voice to a low, 

 peculiar sound, which I learned to know was an 



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