THE HARTEBEEST AND ZEBRA 



with a herd of giraffes on the Loita Plains, not far from 

 the border of German East Africa. The zebra is one of 

 the few animals of East Africa that possesses a consider- 

 able quantity of fat, which often lies in thick, yellowish 

 layers under the skin. As the natives are extremely fond 

 of this " mafuta," or fat, they enjoy zebra meat very much ; 

 and if the animal is young and in good condition it is not 

 at all an unpalatable dish even for the sportsman. The 

 lion also seems to be extremely fond of eating zebra, and 

 it is his chief menu in the greater part of East Africa, 

 to which the vast number of bleached zebra skulls and 

 skeletons on the plains bear witness. My first lion, as 

 previously mentioned, was shot as it was devouring a 

 zebra, which it had slain on the Athi Plains in broad 

 daylight. 



It seems almost incredible that the zebras should be 

 as stupid as they are in regard to their protective instincts. 

 In the dry season, when there are few drinking places, and 

 the lions of the vicinity night after night have chased and 

 killed zebras at the same place, they will return to the 

 identical water pool as if nothing had ever disturbed them 

 there. I once witnessed how, together with a few other 

 animals, a small herd of zebras was leisurely walking along 

 and feeding on the dew-drenched grass early one morning, 

 when I detected, and subsequently succeeded in shooting, 

 a big lion, which was lying down not more than perhaps 

 fifty to sixty yards away from where the zebras fed. It 

 could not be possible that the animals were unaware of 

 the presence of the " King of Beasts," but rather must 

 have known that it had had its " fill " so shortly be- 

 fore, that they were not in danger of being disturbed 

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