THE BIG GAME OF AFRICA 



leopards and lions like to hide during the daytime. Most 

 of the leopards killed have been either shot on moonlight 

 nights or at the morning dusk, as they were found lying 

 on some dead animal upon which they were feeding, or 

 else they have been caught in traps by settlers and natives, 

 and then shot or speared. 



The savages make good leopard traps by driving strong 

 poles deep into the ground, and so close to one another 

 that the beast is unable to squeeze even a paw through. 

 These poles are then tied together with bark to other poles, 

 horizontally placed, so as to form a strong roof for the trap, 

 which generally contains two compartments, a smaller 

 and a larger one, separated by a strong partition, also made 

 of poles. In the smaller compartment a live kid or lamb is 

 placed to attract the leopard with its bleating. The en- 

 trance to the trap and the whole trap itself is so narrow 

 that there is not room enough for the leopard to turn 

 around, and a heavy plank, serving as the door of the trap, 

 is suspended by a pole over the entrance. The other end 

 of this pole is held down by a twig so placed that when 

 the leopard enters the trap and wants to get at the little 

 kid or lamb he has to push this twig aside. Instantly the 

 rear end of the pole above is released, and the plank falls 

 down behind the leopard, thus preventing his backing out 

 of the trap. As he is also unable to turn around, so as to 

 be able to lift up the door with his paws, he cannot escape, 

 and is subsequently killed by spears, which the delighted 

 natives thrust into him, between the side poles. After the 

 same pattern I once made a leopard trap and put in a little 

 kid for bait, but as I had made the larger compartment a 

 little too wide, the cunning beast first took out the kid, 



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