CHAPTER XI 



NOTES ON THE GIRAFFE 



Appearance of the giraffe — Not a vanishing species — Immense 

 range — Habitat — Native mounted hunters — Destruction of 

 giraffes and other game by Europeans — Necessity of restrain- 

 ing native hunters — Discussion as to the possibility of the 

 giraffe existing for long periods without drinking — Water-con- 

 serving tubers — Wild water-melons — Habits of elephants after 

 much persecution — Possible explanation of the belief that 

 giraffes can dispense with water — Giraffes seen in the act 

 of drinking — Giraffes absolutely voiceless — Partial to open, 

 park-like country — Difficult to approach on foot — Giraffes very 

 keen -scented — Hunting giraffes with Bushmen trackers — 

 Exhilarating sport — Pace of the giraffe — The easiest way to 

 kill giraffes — Driving wounded giraffes to camp — Two curious 

 experiences with giraffes — " Stink bulls " — Excellence of the 

 meat of a fat giraffe cow — Height of giraffes — Giraffes only 

 occasionally killed by lions — Young giraffe attacked by leopards. 



" Ungainly " is an epithet which has often been 

 appHed to the giraffe ; but ''stately," I think, would 

 be a far more truly descriptive word, and there is 

 certainly no animal in Africa which adds so much 

 to the interest of the parched and waterless wastes 

 in which it is usually found as this tallest of 

 mammals. The sight of a herd of giraffes walking 

 leisurely across an open piece of ground, or feeding 

 through a park-like country of scattered trees and 

 bush, is one which, once seen, must ever linger in 

 the memory ; for there is a something about the 

 appearance of some few of the largest mammals 

 still extant upon the earth which stirs the imagina- 



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