214 



THE KOODOO. 



By far the most striking and imposing of all South African Ante- 

 lopes, the Koodoo, now claims our attention. 



This truly magnificent creature is about four feet in height at the 

 shoulder, and its body is rather heavily made, so that it is really a large 

 animal. The curiously-twisted horns are nearly three feet in length, 

 and 4re furnished witli a strong ridge or keel, which extends through- 

 out their entire length. It 

 is not so swift or enduring 

 as many Antelopes, and 

 can be run down without 

 difficulty, provided that 

 the hunter be mounted on 

 a good horse, and the 

 ground be tolerably fair 

 and open. Its leaping 

 powers are very great, for 

 one of these animals has 

 been known to leap t^ a 

 height of nearly ten feet 

 without the advantage of 

 a run. 



The flesh of the Koodoo 

 is remarkably good, and 

 the marrow of the princi- 

 pal bones is thought to be 



one of Africa's best lux- 

 The Koodoo {Strepsiceros Kudu). ^^^-^^^ g^ ^.^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^_ 



tives of this dainty that they will break the bones and suck out the 

 marrow without even cooking it in any way whatever. The skin 

 of this animal is extremely valuable, and for some purposes is al- 

 most priceless. There is no skin that will make nearly so good a "fore- 

 slock," or whip-lash, as that of the Koodoo ; for its thin, tough sub- 

 stance is absolutely required for such a purpose. Shoes, thongs, cer- 

 tain parts of harness, and other similar objects are manufactured from 

 the Koodoo's skin, which, when properly prepared, is worth a sovereign 

 or thirty shillings even in its own land. 



The Koodoo is very retiring in disposition, and is seldom seen except 

 by those who come to look for it. It lives in little herds or families of 

 five or six in number, but it is not uncommon to find a solitary hermit 

 here or there, probably an animal which has been expelled from some 

 family, and is awaiting the time for setting up a family of his own. As 

 it is in the habit of frequenting brushwood, the heavy spiral horns would 

 appear to be great hindrances to their owner's progress ; such is not, 

 however, the case, for when the Koodoo runs, it lays its horns upon its 



