TOTO— THE CHIMPANZEE 



VI 



During many years of travel it has been my good 

 fortune to see some wonderful animals, but the most 

 interesting of all was a chimpanzee which fell into 

 my hands and is now known by thousands of film 

 admirers as " Toto of the Congo." He was a lovable 

 companion and the greatest animal comedian that has 

 ever come out of Africa. Like other comedians his 

 weakness was for an audience, and he would spare no 

 effort to please. 



Animals certainly do wonderful things at times, 

 but this little fellow was doing them all the time. He 

 had a surprise for every moment. 



Toto, by his personality, captured the hearts of 

 thousands of natives who had never seen one of his 

 kind, and of every white man and woman in Kenya 

 Colony. It is really astonishing when you think of it. 

 Although he was so clever he was as a rule purely 

 imitative, and that probably gave him his humour. 

 But one thing which stands out in my mind was 

 absolutely original, and might well be considered by 

 naturalists and those who try to gauge the quahty 

 of an animal's mind. I had a friend to lunch with me 

 one day near Nairobi, and we had preserved cherries, 

 one of which I put in an empty Vermouth bottle and 

 gave to Toto. He tried very hard with his long fingers 



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