CHAPTER XXIV 



ANIMALS AND INSECTS OF ZANZIBAK 

 Pariah dogs — lemurs — repulsive insects — domestic animals. 



The fauna of Zanzibar does not consist of many 

 varieties. There are a number of pariah dogs, 

 which live in the inland shambas, and pack at night 

 when they come into the town and along the beach 

 to scavenge. They do not bark, but howl more like 

 jackals, and from my bed I often heard them com- 

 ing across the creek and along the beach ; I rather 

 liked the sound. When all together they may prove 

 dangerous to meet, and have been known to attack 

 and eat a domestic dog. My husband met some 

 of them at midnight on several occasions when he 

 was going to camp to take the guard ; his rickshaw 

 boys were quite frightened of them, and I think a 

 big stick or revolver would not be out of place if 

 walking alone at that hour. 



On another occasion a big animal crossed my 

 husband's path, making the gharry boy hastily jump 

 back, and nearly upsetting my husband ; he could 

 not see well what it was, but it may have been the 

 panther or cerval cat Burton speaks about. The 



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