THE AARD OR EARTH WOLF 



tive in his assertions that they never molest the 

 young stock, or interfere with ostrich eggs or chicks. 



On two or three occasions, to test whether they 

 ate flesh food, he placed lumps of meat in front of 

 their burrows, but they did not touch them. 



It is asserted by many farmers that some of these 

 animals have acquired the habit of killing lambs 

 and kids for the sake of the curdled milk in their 

 stomachs. This is a habit which baboons in some 

 districts have acquired. 



It is also accused of eating ostrich eggs. The 

 Cape Jackal is known to have acquired this habit. 

 The eggs are broken by knocking them against each 

 other, or on stones. If Aard Wolves are occasionally 

 guilty of these practices, it does not follow that it 

 is a habit of all their tribe. Because a hawk takes 

 to chicken-stealing, it by no means follows that all 

 the hawk tribe should be condemned and shot at 

 sight because of the guilt of one of their kind. 



Aard Wolves are shy and timid animals, and 

 go in mortal fear of dogs. They are poor runners, 

 and, therefore, do not venture far from their 

 lairs, except in the parts of the country remote 

 from the habitations of man. Most farmers secure 

 their sheep and goats at night in pens or kraals, and 

 in these situations they are invariably safe from 

 any over-venturesome Aard Wolf, which would 

 belie its nature if it ventured within the sphere of 

 the farmer's dogs. The animal being nocturnal, 

 it would, therefore, not interfere with any kids or 



