HYENAS, MONKEYS, AND PIGS 



found quite far away from the nearest water. It seems 

 to feed chiefly upon the roots of certain trees and bushes, 

 and is fond of making big holes in the ground, in which 

 it occasionally hides. 



The wart hog lives in families of four to six, but old 

 " tuskers " are often met with alone. It is the most com- 

 ical sight to witness an excited family of wart hogs as they 

 dash for cover, for they all turn their tails straight up in 

 the air, in right angles with the line of their backs, and as 

 the tails are bare, except for a little tuft at the extreme 

 end, it looks as if the animals were supplied with whisk- 

 brooms. This, I have several times noticed, is also the 

 case with lions, for one of the lions that charged me came 

 on with the tail held straight up in the air. It is as well 

 the manner of the rhinos. The wart hog never seems 

 to exhibit any particular courage, and even if wounded 

 and cornered, hardly ever dares to charge its pursuer. 

 However, cases have been known where wart hogs have 

 been hunted with dogs, and where they have been able to 

 rip up and kill several of the pack before the hunter could 

 interfere. 



One of the largest wart hogs I shot, I first saw lying 

 down under a bush. I had been stalking it for a couple 

 of minutes, when it must suddenly have gotten a whiff of 

 our wind, for it rushed up and turned quickly around in 

 different directions, sniffing the air. By this time I had 

 come up to within seventy-five yards of the beast, which 

 was an old male with large tusks, which glittered beauti- 

 fully in the bright sunlight. As the animal turned its 

 broadside to me I fired, aiming for the heart, as usual. 

 Instantly the big wart hog ran off, as if shot out of a gun. 



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