ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



4 



v 



APOSHO, THE SKILLFUL OKAPI TRAPPER 



Aposho was sixtv years of age and hail slain over a 

 ilred Okapi without coming l<> grief. The 

 twisted ropes on his arms were sup- 

 posed to propitiate the bad 

 -lni its attendant upon each 

 successful killing. 



stumpy, skiii-covtred horns on tin top of the 

 head, present only in the male, and the tuft of 

 long bristles tipping the tail are the only ex- 

 ternal counterparts common to both. 



A big Okapi stands hut five feet on the slight- 

 ly raised withers, and the short, heavy neck 

 carries a delicately modeled, deer-like head. 

 The glossy brown and purplish black of the 

 body is set off by the conspicuous white stripes 

 and bands on the limbs. The zebra-like pattern 

 on the buttocks, suggestive of shafts of light, 

 has been said to help in concealment, but this 

 would be of little use in the gloom of the Congo 

 forest, and an acute sense of hearing is a fat- 

 better protection. 



After traveling up the river to Stanleyville. 

 twelve hundred miles inland, and after march- 

 ing with a caravan of two hundred porters for 

 twenty-one days across the forests to the north- 

 east, we reached Avakubi and later arrived at 

 Medje. a nine day journey to the northwest, 

 where we made our headquarters. We followed 

 the advice of Lieutenant E. Bovton, a Scandi- 



navian in Belgian service who commanded this 

 post, and proceeded southward to Banda's ter- 

 ritory with only twenty-five porters. By re- 

 ducing our caravan and employing as carriers 

 natives from the villages we intended to visit 

 we eliminated the possibility of antagonizing 

 them by heavy and unnecessary demands on 

 their food supply. 



The evening we arrived at Banda's village 

 his men were drying Okapi meat over the fire. 

 At six the next morning Banda appeared with 

 the dried portions from the limbs, all they pre- 

 serve, as the rest of the hide is generally eaten. 

 We were at last sure of being in Okapi country 

 though in view of past events and prevailing 

 conditions it was not surprising that our recep- 

 tion was tempered with suspicion. Their wom- 

 en and children dared not venture forth un- 

 accompanied by men armed with poisoned 

 arrows, ready for action. Here in lilt).'!. Thorn- 

 ton, an American in Belgian service, with over 

 fifty of his soldiers and porters, was killed and 

 eaten, and the caravans of other officers had 

 frequently been the targets for poisoned arrows 

 shot from ambush. Desperate fighting ensued, 

 lasting more than three years, and the Belgian 

 Government finally forced the abolition of 

 cannibalism. 



The Government had given instructions that 

 we were to be provided with a dozen armed 

 soldiers, whose presence, in our opinion, was 

 unfortunate. We were alarmed to see the sus- 

 picious natives leaving their village, retreating 

 to huts in many far away parts of the forest 

 where they have plantations, the easiest way 

 for them to escape trouble. To us their going 

 meant the defeat of our hope of ever securing 

 Okapi. We therefore sent the soldiers back 

 to the garrison, a step we had no reason to 

 regret, as our success proved. To the black 

 man it was a new and strange experience to 

 see white men at work. Daily the natives flock- 

 ed in from neighboring villages to see "Banda's 

 white men." For a long time I thought myself 

 very popular; many waited for hours to shake 

 my hand. They stroked my arms and joyfully 

 grinned "Nyama mingi! Nyama nzuri !" (Lots 

 of meat! very tender meat!) Later on an ex- 

 planation of their interest gave me a cold chill. 

 However, they good naturedly added that they 

 would not kill us for they would have to send 

 every bit of meat to the great chiefs, for white 

 men cat much salt and taste far better than 

 their own kinsmen. This had been the fate of 

 Thornton. 



After many lengthy palavers I finally suc- 

 ceeded in overcoming their superstitions. I 

 soon had stationed in their camps in the forest 



