132 THE AFRICAN BUFFALO. 



there are two splendid heads of wild buffalo, which have just been killed in 

 the regions around Africa's highest mountain peak. 



Next to the lion the buffalo is the most dangerous African game. During 

 the last fifty years hundreds of hunters have lost their lives in its pursuit 

 and dozens are annually mauled to death under its powerful horns. 



The full-grown male African buffaloes, which Mr. Roosevelt hunted, stood 

 five feet eight inches high at the shoulders and were up to twelve feet in 

 length. Unlike the American bisons, they are hunchless and straight backed, 

 have short and small heads and a square muzzle, shaped like that of our ox. 

 Our ex-President found them to be the most cunning and cautious of all 

 African wild beasts. They live in large herds and thrive excellently all over 

 British East Africa. Their charge is so violent as to carry everything before 

 them. An enraged buffalo goes through the densest jungle like an auto- 

 mobile and nothing can check his furious onslaught. The safest way, there- 

 fore, is to kill him before he has time to charge. In fact, two of the first 

 four buffaloes Mr. Roosevelt bagged had no time to charge at all. and the 

 other two were speedily dispatched just as they were about to start. 



Some years ago the buffalo was on the list of protected animals, but this 

 resulted in its becoming so numerous as to be a veritable pest, destroying the 

 crops of the farmers and even threatening the lives of the natives. It now 

 is counted as vermin and may be killed at will. There is no danger, however. 

 of its being exterminated, for the British Government has created an exten- 

 sive game reserve on both sides of the Uganda Railroad, where thousands 

 of v:ild buffaloes are allowed to thrive unmolested, and from where the 

 surrounding country is constantly supplied with fresh stock. 



The first buffalo shot by Colonel Roosevelt in East Africa was of the 

 typical African species, about six feet high at the shoulders, having upward 

 curving horns with a spread of seven feet, and bluish-black coat. 



His achievements as a hunter have been record-breaking, for his first three 

 months' efforts yielded forty-two big head of game, among which were five 

 large buffaloes, and last fall the bag tallied 104 animals, of which sixty-nme 

 fell before the unerring aim of the father's rifle and thirty-five at the crack 

 of the son's weapon. Still he does not kill more than he has to, his aim being 

 to supply our National Museum with valuable specimens and not to satisfy 

 a personal desire for exciting adventures. 



'T regret very much the criticism and claim of wanton slaughter of ani- 

 mals, which I have heard has come from America," he said to an American 

 newspaper man who recently returned from East Africa, "because I have 



