68 SOUTH AFRICAN MAMMALS 



He is so tame that he can be handled while he is at his 

 meal, which is a very unfeline-like trait. There was for 

 many months a tame true Leopard in the next cage to 

 Billy, and although to all intents and purposes of as 

 docile a nature as the Cheetah, the difference between 

 the two became immediately apparent at mealtimes, as 

 the Leopard's nature changed at once, and she had to be 

 chained up to a stake in the ground before her meat was 

 brought into the cage, the smell thereof causing her to 

 become excited and obnoxious. As is well known to 

 naturalists and people living in India, the Cheetah is 

 tamed by the Hindoos to hunt the Blackbuck, and is 

 one of the fleetest creatures known. 



It inhabits open grass country or grass veld dotted with 

 scattered bush, seldom resorting to heavily timbered 

 tracts. In South Africa its food consists mainly of the 

 smaller antelope, such as Duiker, Steenbuck, &c., and I 

 believe Baboons form, when available, a special delicacy. 

 Besides the Waterberg district, the Zoo has had examples 

 of the Cheetah from the following localities: Nyasaland, 

 ex-German South-West (" Bernard," still living and pre- 

 sented by Lieutenant Wimble, S.A.M.R.), and from 

 Malalane, Eastern Transvaal (Captain Atmore). 



Felis leo. Lion. Leeuiv. 



This animal, called the " King of the Forest " and the 

 " King of Beasts" in the story-books, needs but little 

 description. It is of a general tawny or sandy-yellow 

 colour, with a black patch at the base of the ears. The 

 males possess a mane, which in some examples is coloured 

 like the body, while in others the hairs are strongly 

 tipped with black. In some the mane may be very 

 scanty and restricted in area ; in others it may be thick 

 and bushy, extending over the shoulders and along the 



