Ross, Dr. Edward S. 
AIR MAIL 
March 15, 1957 
Dr. Edward S. Ross 
California Academy of Sciences 
Golden Gate Park 
San Francisco 18, Calif. 
Dear Dr. Rosss 
You are giving me too much of your time. I was only glad to 
do all that you have thanked me for in your letter of March 11. 
I am glad that you bring up the matter of animals while sleep- 
ing out evenings. I doubt if you will have much trouble considering 
the much traveled roads and the smell of the auto. But there have 
been attacks from time to time from unarmed people traveling at night 
I noticed all natives go armed, most of them with spears and now and 
then with bow and arrow. I recall well one evening wnen we were 
driving rather late and passed a woman running crying along the road 
that our guide Oscar said to us : "They must have had a death in the 
family and that is the way she is expressing her grief, 1 * aduing that 
"it was a risky thing to do because some leopard might get her." 
One other instance recounted to me at Gangala-na-Bod^O; They had 
two pet giraffes, beautiful pair, and shortly before we had gotten 
there the female had been killed by a leopard that had jumped on her 
neck from a tree. On the other hand, leopard skins tnese days are 
rather hard to come byj they are not as plentiful as they used to be, 
and indeed, in the native dances where they wear ^mple for ores 
ornament, textiles have been substituted. But I frankly do not know 
what the risks and dangers are. I could talk around the subject a 
bit more here, but I may be seeing you in San Francisco, where I am 
due on the 22nd of this month. In any case, the best of good wishes 
and good luck on your forthcoming safari. 
Sincerely, 
Maldo L. Schmitt 
Head Curator 
Department of Zoology 
KLS^eek 
