The Minds and Manners of Wild Animals: A Book of Personal ObservationsHornaday, William T. (William Temple)
Science
The Minds and Manners of Wild Animals: A Book of Personal Observations
Hornaday, William T. (William Temple)
Animal behavior
"At the first crack of a rifle, however, the animals immediately
aroused, and then during the fusillade which followed there
occurred what might be called an orderly scramble for the water.
In the first place the young ones were hustled to the edge of the
ice-pan, and there, apparently under the protection of the
mother's flipper, pushed into the water, immediately followed by
the mother. The young bulls followed, and I recall no exceptions
where the last animal into the water was not the big bull, who
before diving would give our boat a wicked look and a roar of
rage.
"The animals would immediately dive, and then we first became
aware of a remarkable phenomenon. We found that when excited they
would continue their roaring under water, and these strange sounds
coming to us from below added considerably to the excitement of
the chase. Although the cows and young animals would generally
swim to places of safety, the other full grown animals would hover
beneath our boat and from time to time come to the surface and
charge. These charges were in all cases repulsed by the discharge
of our rifles in the faces of the animals. The balls, however,
from our .45 calibre carbines would flatten out under the skin on
the massive bony structure of the animal's skull, and cause only a
sort of rage and a sneeze, but it however had the effect of making
them dive again. It is my belief that when enraged the walrus if
not resisted would attack and attempt to destroy a boat. Icquah,
one of our native hunters, showed me in the deck of his kyak two
mended punctures which he told me were made by the tusks of a
walrus that had made an _unprovoked_ attack upon him.
"On more than one occasion I have seen two strong uninjured
animals come to the assistance of a wounded companion, and swim
away with it to a position of safety, _the injured animal being
supported on both sides_, giving the appearance of three
animals swimming abreast. The first time I witnessed this I did
not comprehend its real meaning, but on another occasion in
McCormick Bay I saw a wounded animal leaving a trail of blood and
oil, supported on either side by two uninjured ones. They were
making a hasty retreat and would occasionally dive together, but
would quickly return to the surface.
"We found the most effective exposed spot to place a bullet was at
the base of the animal's skull. A walrus instantly killed this way
generally sinks, leaving a trail of blood and oil to mark the
place of his descent. When hunting these animals it is well to
have an Eskimo along with harpoon and line in readiness to make
fast; otherwise one is apt to lose his quarry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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