THE BIG GAME OF AFRICA 



however, that he was more worthy "of being admired by 

 thousands of intelHgent Americans in one of the finest 

 museums of the world, than to continue to roam around, 

 hidden in the jungles of Africa, and one day to die of old 

 age, or fall an easy prey to a bloodthirsty lion! 



It probably very seldom happens that a full-grown, 

 healthy giraffe is attacked, or killed by a single lion, un- 

 less suddenly overtaken, when, for instance, in a drinking 

 position, when old and feeble, or sick. For with his power- 

 ful front feet he could well beat back and even kill a lion.. 

 A cow giraffe was once seen attacking a lion which tried 

 to kill its calf. The furious mother drove off the lion with 

 its forefeet, but also unfortunately hit its own " baby " 

 with one of the blows, instantly breaking its back and kill- 

 ing it on the spot. A German settler from the country 

 southwest of Kilimanjaro told me that he had succeeded 

 in capturing a number of wild animals, which he subse- 

 quently had sold to the well-known wild animal merchant, 

 Mr. Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, who near that city has one 

 of the finest private zoological gardens in the world, which 

 is well worth a visit. The German settler also wanted to 

 capture young giraffes, but had, according to his own 

 almost incredible story, repeatedly been " driven off " by 

 their desperate mothers, as he was not allowed to shoot 

 them, according to the game laws of German East Africa. 

 One day, however, he succeeded in separating a young 

 giraffe from the herd, and with his black helpers he got 

 hold of the " baby," which, although probably but a few 

 months old, stood fully nine feet high. After a hard strug- 

 gle, during which two of the negroes had been rather 

 badly hurt by kicks, but during which ordeal, to use my 



80 



