THE AARD VARK 213 



that acres and acres of land may still be seen 

 riddled with its holes. 



The chief interest attaching to the aard vark in 

 the wild state is due to its burrowing powers. 

 Owing to its immense strength the animal can 

 sink into the hardest soil, tearing away with 

 its forefeet and throwing the earth rapidly back- 

 wards with the hind ones. It frequently com- 

 mences its burrow at the root of some bush, 

 the branches of which will effectually screen 

 the aperture ; but if not satisfied with the site 

 abandons its labours, and seeks some other situa- 

 tion. Once hard at work however, the animal 

 digs with great energy, tunnelling along for 

 perhaps thirty feet before finally excavating the 

 roomy chamber which will serve as bedroom 

 and citadel combined. Living armadilloes can 

 generally be seen at the Zoo, and anyone who has 

 observed the enormous strength and energy which 

 these little edentates put into their burrowing 

 operations will readily comprehend that such 

 will-power and muscle, multiplied five-fold in 

 the case of the aard vark, is not readily out- 

 manoeuvred. Moodie indeed states that one of 

 these ant-bears, whose hind foot had been noosed 

 in a thong, could not be dislodged from its burrow 

 by four or five men : and it has repeatedly been 

 found that the task of digging out an aard vark is 

 arduous and exhausting, the labour continuing for 



