The book of antelopes, vol. 1 (of 4)Sclater, Philip Lutley
Science
The book of antelopes, vol. 1 (of 4)
Sclater, Philip Lutley
Antelopes
So much for the occurrence of this species in the South and South-west
of Africa, past and present. But we must now trace its distribution
to the north; for it is an extraordinary fact that the Brindled Gnu,
instead of being confined, like its sister species, to a small part
of South Africa, extends up along the eastern coast certainly as far
as Kilimanjaro, and perhaps even into Sennaar, where reports of the
occurrence of a Gnu-like Antelope were made to Heuglin. It is, however,
possible that some of these northern Gnus may belong to the White-maned
species, which we shall presently mention.
Beginning from the Limpopo, Mr. Selous tells us that the Brindled
Gnu is found all over this portion of South-eastern Africa up to the
Zambesi, in districts suitable to its habits--that is, “in open downs
devoid of bush and in open glades in the forest,” but not in hilly
countries. Peters and Sir John Kirk both enroll it among the mammals of
Zambesia, the latter author stating that at the time of his visit it
was “very abundant in considerable herds in the Batoka country, also
near Lake Shirwa, and at Shupanga on the Zambesi.” As to its present
existence in the Shiré Highlands, Mr. B. L. Sclater, R.E., sends us
the following notes.--“In November 1891, while travelling between Zomba
and Milanji, I was shooting in the marshes on the west bank of the
Tochila. I saw a Gnu and tried to stalk it, but it was right in the
open and I could not get near it. My head man, a Swahili, said it was
a Gnu (_Nyumbo_), and he was well acquainted with that animal.
Again, in 1892, at Midima, to the south of the Tochila, I obtained
a tail of a Gnu from a native, who told me that formerly there was
a large herd of them on these plains, but that he thought they were
now all killed. I believe that Mr. Sharpe has met with the Gnu on the
plains to the west of the Upper Shiré, between Matope and the sources
of the Lesungwi River.”
As regards the more northern portion of the British Central African
Protectorate, Mr. Crawshay tells us that the Gnu is apparently unknown
to the natives round the northern half of Lake Nyasa, and is not met
with anywhere in the immediate neighbourhood of the Lake, though found
a little to the south-east, and also, he believes, to the south-west.
In 1864 Speke met with the Brindled Gnu in large herds in Khutu, on
the western borders of Uzaramo, close to the Kingani River, where it
inhabits the “park-like lands adjoining the stream.”
Later on Sir John Kirk obtained heads of it in the same district, and
has favoured us with the following notes on its occurrence in this part
of German East Africa:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account