NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



danger of being overtaken, one of the herd will often 

 fall to the rear, face about and charge. This is 

 truly a splendid example of self-sacrifice of the 

 individual for the good of the many. Sometimes 

 short charges in the direction of the approaching 

 enemy will be made, with the endeavour to delay his 

 advance sufficiently to allow the herd to escape. 



When wounded, an Elephant will often charge a 

 hunter, and many a man has in this way been slain. 

 When inclined to charge, the Elephant cocks his 

 ears, holds his tail straight up and carefully surveys 

 his surroundings, meanwhile endeavouring to locate 

 his foe by raising his trunk and sniffing the air. The 

 moment he detects his foe by sight, sound or scent, 

 he charges down on him, usually screaming loud and 

 shrilly with rage. When charging, an African 

 Elephant holds its trunk hanging down in front of 

 its chest, and not drawn up under the jaws like the 

 Indian Elephant under similar circumstances. The 

 most dangerous and vicious Elephants are the tusk- 

 less females. A charging Elephant, as a general rule, 

 can be turned by a bullet, even should the bullet not 

 strike him in a vital part. When alarmed, Elephants 

 go off at a shuffling trot, and never break into a 

 gallop. They cannot maintain this trot for long, 

 and soon settle down to a swift swinging walk, often 

 not pausing for many miles. The old Dutch hunters 

 termed this long, swift step " de long stap." 



Captain McQueen, an African explorer, Had an 

 alarming experience with an elephant. He wounded 

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