THE PANGOLIN AND ANT-BEAR 137 



falls are sustained by hunters and others, even when 

 thus mounted, while the use of a foreign-bred animal 

 implies early disaster. These holes are, as a rule, the 

 work of the animal known as the " Ant-Bear," a creature 

 now confined entirely to Africa, though fossil remains 

 indicate that its range was once a wider one. 



The Ant-Bear is about the size of a half-grown pig, 

 which it rather resembles in its thick skin, destitute of 

 all fur, and covered with scanty reddish brown hairs. 

 The tail and ears are long, the former tapering from the 

 root, where it seems merely a prolongation of the body, 

 to a thin tip. The muzzle is long and narrow, terminated 

 by a small pig -like snout ; the tongue can be protruded 

 to a great length and is sticky. The limbs are stout, 

 and are furnished, especially in front, with powerful 

 digging claws. 



The Ant-Bear exists practically wherever there are 

 white ants, and is not in the least a rare animal, though, 

 in consequence of being one of the most strictly nocturnal 

 in habit of all mammals, and spending the whole day 

 underground, it is very rarely seen. Its hearing is very 

 acute, and sight and smell seem both well developed. 

 When sitting up for carnivora on moonlight nights, I 

 have once or twice seen these creatures above ground ; 

 and there is no doubt that they wander considerable 

 distances during the hours of darkness, for their tracks 

 are constantly seen in sand-spruits and elsewhere. At 

 such times individuals must occasionally fall victims to 

 the various beasts of prey which are then abroad. Once 

 I found a male killed by a Ratel. When disturbed they 

 at once make for the nearest hole, and in soft earth can 

 burrow so fast, that they make more progress than 

 several men digging hard. Their capture, therefore, 

 is a matter of considerable difficulty. An Ant-Bear once 



