Wild beasts and their ways - reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America (1890) (14757750476)

African Elephant
Identifier: wildbeaststheirw00bake (find matches)
Title: Wild beasts and their ways : reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Baker, Samuel White, Sir, 1821-1893
Subjects: Baker, Samuel White, Sir, 1821-1893 Animal behavior Hunting
Publisher: London New York : Macmillan
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University



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ill generally retreatshould they even wind an unseen enemy. This timidity is increasedby domestication, and it is difficult to obtain an elephant suffi-ciently staunch to withstand the attack of any wild animal Thevwill generally turn tail, and not only retreat gracefully, but will 12 5 X i18^?6^ ?aniC) t0 the Sreat danSer of their ridersshould the locality be forest. The difference in species is distinct between the Asiatic and theAfrican. It is at a 1 times difficult to give the measurement of adead animal, especially when so enormous, as the pressure ofweight when alive would reduce the height afforded by measurement when the body is horizontal J measure AmltalfttTl^i^ elephant Jumb0 that was Bold toAmerica by the Zoological Society of London, was brought up in eSKr^jS fStenCe 7hen * was abouT4U?eetbefore Tt left Fn! n/le^\an ,was carefu% weighed and measuredDctoie it left England, with the result, of height at shoulder 11feet; weight, six tons and a half. Thegirth of the Woof when
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I—I ii THE ELEPHANT 19 the pressure of the animals weight was exerted, was exactly halfthe perpendicular height of the elephant. I have seen very muchlarger animals in Africa, but there is nothing in India to approachthe size of Jumbo. There is no reason why the African elephants should not betamed and made useful, but the difficulty lies in obtaining themin any great numbers. The natives of Africa are peculiarly savage,and their instincts of destruction prevent them from capturing anddomesticating any wild animals. During nine years experienceof Central Africa I never saw a tamed creature of any kind, noteven a bird, or a young antelope in possession of a child. Thetame elephant would be especially valuable to an explorer, as itcould march through streams too deep for the passage of oxen,and in swimming rivers it would be proof against the attacks ofcrocodiles. So few African elephants have been tamed in propor-tion to those of Asia that it would be difficult to pronounce anopinionwildbeaststheirw00bake