GIRAFFES 307 



Northern Guaso Nylro we found the reticulated giraffe 

 sometimes in bare plains with a few trees scattered over 

 them, sometimes in thick, dry thorn-scrub, composed either 

 of low acacia-trees or of tall camel-thorn or wait-a-bit 

 bushes. The giraffe's hide is marvellously thick. The 

 animals would gallop right through patches of thorn scrub 

 around which we had to steer our horses under penalty of 

 having our clothes — and skins — torn to ribbons. 



Along the Northern Guaso Nyiro most of the big animals 

 were drinking regularly, either in the river itself or in the 

 rare tributaries. The country was dry as a bone, the leaves 

 on the thorn-trees and the harsh grass having withered under 

 the intense heat of many rainless months. At the good 

 drinking-places the ground was cut deep by innumerable 

 footprints of buffalo, eland, oryx, big zebra, common zebra, 

 waterbuck, impalla, and gazelle. At one time or another 

 we saw most of these animals drinking; we are convinced 

 that they were all drinking regularly, probably once a day. 

 We never saw the gerenuks drinking or saw their tracks at 

 the watering-places, and we met individuals in places so far 

 from water that we are confident they were not drinking at 

 all. We never saw the footprints of the giraffe at any of the 

 watering-places save one, where we also once saw two of the 

 animals themselves; and in one place we kept in touch for 

 three days with a herd which we are reasonably confident 

 did not drink during that time. Be this as it may, it is 

 absolutely certain that in portions of Africa giraffes and cer- 

 tain antelopes — oryx, eland, hartebeest, and others — pass 

 long periods of time, probably months, without drinking; 

 and where other antelopes, such as gerenuk, never drink at 

 all; and this when the heat and dryness are such that it 



