THE HARMLESS GIRAFFE 



favorite feeding grounds are, for instance, the Seringetti 

 Plains, between Kilima-Njaro and Voi on the Uganda 

 Railroad, and in the thorn and fiber plant deserts around 

 the latter place. He is also found in the central parts of 

 the Protectorate, to the northeast of the Athi Plains, which 

 he occasionally crosses over to the big Southern Game 

 Reserve. In the northern part of the Protectorate he is 

 abundant both north of Mt. Kenia and the Guasco Narok 

 river, in the partly. waterless Samburu country, and on the 

 Guas Ngishu Plateau, southeast of Mt. Elgon. As the 

 dew is generally very heavy in these districts, he may get 

 almost all the water he needs from the dew-covered leaves 

 that he eats in the early morning. 



Almost every animal makes some kind of a sound when 

 angry, wounded, or when wanting to '' communicate " with 

 other members of its family, but the girafife seems to be 

 absolutely mute. I have asked several hunters, who have 

 had opportunity to observe a great many giraffes at close 

 quarters, about the muteness of this animal, and they have 

 all assured me that they never heard the giraffe utter a 

 sound of any kind, neither when pursued, scattered, cor- 

 nered, wounded, or dying. This native trackers and 

 hunters all over East Africa have also repeatedly cor- 

 roborated. 



In 1906, not far from the Maungu station on the 

 Uganda Railroad, I shot my largest giraffe, which meas- 

 ured over seventeen feet in height. We had started from 

 our camp at Maungu long before daybreak in search of 

 a big giraffe, which was reported as having been seen 

 the previous day from the railroad. After having marched 

 for over an hour, feeling our way in the dark, I suddenly 

 7 yy 



