ii4 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



to a short distance, returned as soon as he was out of 

 sight, with the result stated. Of course, it is not every 

 one who habitually goes about carrying a bottle of 

 strychnine in his pocket. In parts of the Cape Province 

 where at one time wild dogs were a terrible scourge to 

 stock, their reduction was materially assisted by laying 

 a drag, and placing small pieces of poisoned meat at 

 intervals along its course. This plan has, however, not 

 proved successful in the Transvaal low country. 



The usual prey of these voracious creatures consists 

 of impala, reedbuck, bushbuck, duiker, and steenbuck 

 (in south-east Africa), but when pressed by hunger they 

 will not hesitate to attack larger and more formidable 

 species. Ranger Wolhuter once saw a pack pursuing 

 a single sable antelope, but was unable to ascertain 

 whether they killed it or not. Waterbuck and kudu 

 cows, and immature animals of both sexes belonging to 

 the larger species are sometimes killed, but in the Sabi 

 Reserve, at any rate, where small buck are plentiful, 

 their attention is almost entirely confined to these. A 

 troop was once seen running a Side-Striped Jackal, and 

 we have recorded instances, one of which was quoted 

 in a previous chapter, of hyaenas having been mobbed ; 

 though whether such attacks were undertaken with 

 the object of obtaining meat or merely as acts of revenge, 

 consequent on the hyaena having attempted to snatch 

 some of their food, is doubtful. A leopard certainly 

 recognizes dangerous enemies in a pack of hunting dogs, 

 and seeks refuge in a tree on their approach. 



The tales which are current of Hunting Dogs driving 

 away lions from a district are no doubt much exaggerated. 

 Lions seldom hunt singly, and the reason which causes 

 them temporarily to abandon a small area, upon which 

 a pack of Hunting Dogs has descended, is more likely to 



