410 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



Brocklehurst (1931, p. 109) writes: 



It is still comparatively plentiful in certain parts of Uganda and the 

 Sudan, west of the Nile, and owing to their strict preservation they are 

 certainly on the increase. In one year, in Mongalla Province alone, I have 

 seen no less than eight cows accompanied by calves. The natives seldom 

 kill them now as it is not easy to kill so rare a beast without the fact being 

 known sooner or later by the District Commissioner, who inflicts a heavy 

 punishment on anyone infringing the law. 



Owing to the fact that the cow carries the longest horn, they were more 

 sought after by hunters, which would account for their rapid decrease and 

 almost entire extermination. . . . 



Unlike the Black Rhinoceros they are extremely inoffensive, depending 

 entirely on scent and almost invariably seek safety in flight. 



French Equatorial Africa. The occurrence of the White Rhi- 

 noceros in this country has only recently been verified. When Lang 

 states (1924, p. 177) that "no square-lipped rhinoceros is known 

 from the Ubangi-Shari region," he contradicts his previous testimony 

 (1920, p. 76) and is in obvious error. 



"Two horns [presumably of the White Rhinoceros], now in the 

 British Museum, were brought from the neighbourhood of Lake 

 Tchad by Messrs. Denham and Clapperton in the first quarter of 

 the last century" (Lydekker, 1908, p. 37) . 



In 1927 G. Babault recorded seeing at Khartum a lot of more 

 than 150 White Rhinoceros horns, which had come from the general 

 region of Abecher in eastern Chad Territory and had been collected 

 in the course of a year. The animal still exists (unfortunately in 

 small numbers) to the southeast of Abecher, in the regions of Goz- 

 Be'ida and Mongororo. There are also records from eastward of 

 Mangueigne (near the Aouk River) and from the eastern part of 

 Ubangi-Shari (near Yalinga) . A recent decree protects the animal 

 absolutely in French Equatorial Africa. (Lavauden, 1933, p. 24.) 



It is certain that seven or eight years ago this animal was found 

 between Birao (northeastern Ubangi-Shari) and Lake Mamoum, 

 and at the junction of the Aouk River with the Bahrs Ouandja and 

 Gunda. At present there are probably no White Rhinoceroses within 

 the limits of Chad Territory. Possibly, however, there are a few 

 survivors in the east of the Ubangi, between Birao and Zemio. 

 (Malbrant, 1936, p. 26.) 



Formerly there were some hundreds along the Sudan frontier, 

 about the headwaters of the tributaries on the right bank of the 

 Mbomu and on the left bank of the Aouk. There are now a few 

 individuals in the same region. Depletion is due to the trade in 

 horns. The animal has been totally protected since 1916. There 

 ought to be a few individuals in the Pare National du Goz Sassulkou 

 and in the game reserves of Ouanda-Djale and Zemango. (L. 

 Blancou, in litt., December, 1936.) 



