PIGMY HIPPOS CAPTURED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIIII, Issue 3625, 11 September 1912, Page 7

PIGMY HIPPOS CAPTURED.

EXPLORER’S ADVENTURES IN AFRICAN FOREST.

Major H. Schomburgk, the wellknown German big game hunter, has arrived in London from Liberia, having succeeded in bringing to Europe five living specimens of a pigmy hippopotamus.

So far back as 18G4 Dr Morton, a British Colonial surgeon, discovered

the skull of an unknown animal, which was named “Choeropsis Liberl&nsis.” Since then many expeditions have been organised in search of the mysterious animal, hitherto without success.

“In April of last year,” said the Major, “I went to Liberia in charge of an expedition fitted out by Mi Hagenbeck in search of this long-sought-foi animal, and after five months 1 had to return without achieving my object Last December I went out again, and proceeded from Monrovia into the Hinterland. Owing to a native war the country was very disturbed, and I met with great difficulties, “AH my carriers mutinied and de clinod to proceed further into the interior. For twelve days we went through almost impenetrable jusli until we reached Taguema, a fortified town in the forest. The place was surrounded by the Pessis, who were fighting the inhabitants, a truculent and wild tribe named the Colas, and the war was only stopped owing to the arrival of a white man. There I remained two months looking for fbe pigmy hippo. During my many years o/, Afri >n travel I have never had harder ?\

jx’riences. For instance, for a who’ > week I was wading rivers frequently neck deep. I dug altogether 200 pits to trap the animals, and placing these was very difficult, as the pigmy hippo, unlike his big cousin, has no regular tracks. At last I killed one which I found concealed under the bank of a stream containing barely three •inches of water. ‘‘After this bad luck vanished, and I caught throe in succession in my pits, and afterwards two more. I now had to cut tracks through the virgin forest for five days to my centre at Macca, where I collected ray animals. Then I transported them alive to the coast, a further four days. For this I employed 20(1 carriers. “The animal,” Major Schomburgk, continued, “is in appearance not unlike an American mountain tapir. A full-grown animal Weighs 4001 b, and is about the size of a large pig. It has very powerful tusks, hut it is p-tch black in color, and more graceful in shape than the hippo. In its wild state it is extremely savage, and is much feared by the natives. I found it, however, very easy to tame. “Of the five specimens brought alive to Europe, two have been purchased bv the American Zoological Society; the others are in Germany.”