BIG GAME HUNTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3996, 14 October 1930, Page 67

BIG GAME HUNTING.

AUCKLAND MAN’S EXPERIENCE.

ATTACKED BY WOUNDED BUFFALO.

AUCKLAND, October 10.

A narrow escape from a terrible death was experienced by Mr Harold Thomas, of Auckland, in an encounter with a wounded African buffalo in Northern Rhodesia a little over two months ago. Mr Thomas is one of a party of three New Zealand sportsmen who left Auckland last May on a big game hunting expedition to South Africa. The other members ot the party are Mr John Holmes and Mr Alec Al’Kinnon, of Auckland. The party had reached the valley of the Mirambo River, purported to be one of the best big game areas in South Africa.

Writing uu August 1~, six days after the accident, from Lubwa Mission Station in the extreme north of Northern Rhodesia to his son in Auckland, Mr Thomas states that while Mr M’Kinnon and he were out with five blacks they came upon two huge buffalo bulls. One was shot and killed, but the other was only wounded, and dashed away, leaving a blood trail. The party set out to track the animal, and having been warned oi the cunning and ferocity of the African buffalo, especially when wounded, took every precaution to avoid being caught unawares. The animal had been followed for some time until finally the party reached, a position in which the cover was so slight that there was little possibility of an ambush. The blacks were walking in front when suddenly Messrs M’Kinnon and Thomas saw the buffalo chasing them. “It was bounding along in an alarming manner suggestive of a huge boulder leaping down a hillside,” wrote Mr Thomas. Before I could say knife the buffalo was on me. I jumped aside and tried to get behind a small tree, but the buffalo was so quick in spite of its buik that it was at the tree equally as soon. ’ It made one sweep at Mr Thomas with its horn and barked the tree and its thigh. Finally it knocked him down, and with its front knees on his body attacked him savagely, severely bruising him and tearing his clothes. “It is marvellous that I am here to tell the story,” said Mr Thomas, “and I would not be had it not been for the superb coolness of Mr M’Kinnon in an emergency. Had it not been for his well-directed shot into the infuriated animal’s shoulder I would have been killed.”

Badly bruised, Mr Thomas was carried by the blacks 40 miles to the mission station on a stretcher improvised from a camp bed. The journey was accomplished in two days, the party arriving there on August 8. A runner had been sent ahead, and the party was met before arrival by a doctor from the station. “ Although I think I shall not be doing any more big game hunting on this trip, I have suffered no permanent or serious injury,” stated Mr Thomas in his letter.