Big Game Shooting 



or two the bone rots off, and in another week the 

 skin goes too, leaving the base of the horn cup- 

 shaped. The rhino has three toes, which make 

 his track easily distinguishable from the hippo's 

 four-toed footmark. When he gallops he can 

 travel much faster than he looks to be going. 



He wanders about in an apparently aimless 

 way, but usually deposits his dung in the same 

 places for several days at a time, returning 

 regularly about half an hour afterwards to spread 

 it abroad with his horn and nose. I have seen 

 him do this on one occasion, and it accounts for 

 the long deep scrapes one sees in the ground. 

 He can see very little twenty yards away from 

 him, but his nose is very good. I have seen 

 one begin to gallop three-quarters of a mile away 

 on getting the wind of a caravan. 



He is most alarming to look at, but — and it is 

 a very big " but " — how often does he really 

 charge in anger ? I am sure — and most people 

 in Africa will agree with me — that he gets so 

 fussed at the first sound or smell of a human 

 being that he starts galloping quite aimlessly 

 before he can make up his mind where to go. 

 Now if I suggest that it is not charging, I have 

 got to prove it. First, What worries him ? The 

 smell of a caravan or human being. Why does 

 he always go straight for a caravan or human 

 being ? Because, like most animals in the jungle, 

 he runs away up-wind. (N.B. It is most un- 



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