166 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
There has been a good deal of 
controversy as to the character and 
disposition of the black rhinoceros, some 
hunters and travelers regarding it as 
most dangerous and aggressive, whilst 
others are inclined to take an almost 
opposite view. That some black 
rhinoceroses are certainly aggressive and 
therefore dangerous animals, the experi- 
ences of C. J. Anderson and W. Cotton 
Oswell in South Africa many years ago, 
and of many travelers and hunters in 
East Africa during the last few years, 
certainly prove beyond a doubt; and as 
one never knows that any particular 
rhinoceros, when encountered, may not 
prove to be a vicious brute, a certain 
amount of caution should be employed 
in approaching one of these animals. 
In my own experience I always found 
that black rhinoceroses ran off at once 
on getting the wind of a human being ; 
-whilst, on the other hand, if they only 
heard one approaching, they would come 
This spectes of rhinoceros is the smallest of the three Oriental forms. It has towards the noise, and I have often 
nee known them to trot up to within 
twenty yards of where I was standing, 
snorting and puffing loudly ; but as these animals always turned round and went off eventually 
without charging, I came to the conclusion that they were inquisitive and very short-sighted 
rather than vicious. When fired into, a black rhinoceros goes off at a gallop—his usual pace, 
when alarmed, being a-very fast trot—puffing and snorting loudly. He can gallop ata very 
great pace, considering his size and weight ; but a South African shooting-pony can easily come 
up with him, or get away from him if pursued. In death a black rhinoceros will often sink down 
on its knees, and remain in that position, looking as if it were simply resting. When dying, it 
often gives vent to a pitiful squeal, the sound seeming very small and thin for so large a beast. 
The meat of the black rhinoceros is not ill-flavoured, and, if fat, very palatable; but as a rule 
these animals are very lean, and their flesh tough and coarse. The tongue, however, if well 
cooked, is always good; and the liver if first roasted under the ashes, and then, after being beaten 
up in a native wooden mortar, cooked with rice and fat, makes a dish which is good enough for 
a hungry man. 
During the making of the Uganda Railway the engineers came upon something like a pre- 
serve of this species of rhinoceros, especially in the thick and waterless thorn jungle near the 
coast. The rhinoceros was almost the only animal, except the lion, which was able to penetrate 
the bush. As many as five of these animals were seen in one day when the line was being 
made; they did no injury to the coolies, other than by frightening them, and appeared to be 
stupid and by no means vigilant animals, perhaps because no other creature attacked them. The 
lion never meddles with a grown-up rhinoceros, though it might and probably does kill a calt 
occasionally, when the latter is no larger than a full-grown pig. The horns of some of these 
East African black rhinoceroses were of unusual length and thinness. 
f Ss oat: Sige 3 “ age ae 
Photo by York & Son] {Norting Hill 
SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS 
