XII 



THE RHINOCEROS 



NO doubt elephants were as numerous in the Masai- 

 Nyika, before they were hunted for their ivory, 

 as rhinoceroses are still. These were comparatively lit- 

 tle hunted, because the value of their horns and the 

 danger and difficulties of hunting the animals were 

 rather disproportionate. Now that elephants have 

 grown scarce, the turn of the rhinoceros seems to have 

 come. Their numbers have been wofully diminished 

 within the last few years. During the time which I 

 have spent in East Africa, I have seen about six hun- 

 dred rhinoceroses, and have noticed the tracks of 

 thousands. Away from the roads taken by caravans 

 one may meet daily with a number of these animals ; in 

 the mountainous parts of the great Masai steppe, six 

 thousand feet high or more, they are to be found in 

 multitudes during the dry season. It is interesting to 

 read about the good "bags" which some travellers and 

 explorers managed to make. 



Count Telekis and Mr. von Hoehnel killed ninety- 

 nine rhinoceroses on their expedition which led to 



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