CAPE HUNTING DOG OR WILDE HONDE 



no purpose, for the wild dog, lying flat to the ground 

 as a greyhound, its bushy tail stretched straight 

 behind it, covered two yards to its one, and came 

 up to it in no time. It just gave the antelope one 

 bite in the flank, and letting go its hold instantly 

 fell a few yards behind. At the bite the Sable Ante- 

 lope swerved towards us, and upon receiving a 

 second in exactly the same place turned still more, 

 so that, taking the point on which we stood as centre, 

 both pursuer and pursued had described about half 

 a circle round us, always within two hundred yards 

 since the Sable Antelope had first halted. As the 

 wild dog was just going up the third time it got 

 our wind and, instead of again inflicting a bite, 

 stopped dead and looked towards us, whilst about 

 a hundred yards from it the Sable Antelope came to 

 a standstill. The baffled hound then turned round 

 and made off one way, while the Sable Antelope, 

 delivered from its tormentor, cantered off in an- 

 other." 



Mr. Selous mentions that this is the only occasion 

 on which he saw a Cape Hunting Dog pursuing an 

 animal unaccompanied by others. In the unsettled 

 parts of South Africa these dogs still cause much 

 loss to farmers, attacking sheep, goats, cattle, and 

 ostriches. However, it is now exceedingly wary, 

 and has in most districts taken refuge in the forests, 

 such for instance as the Addo Bush near Port 

 Elizabeth. In Rhodesia they are very plentiful, 

 and harry the pioneer farmers considerably. In 

 125 



