Popular Official Guide to the New York Zoological Park 7
Judging from all evidence now available, it seems that the Giraffes of
to-day represent the midway stage of an effort to develop several
species from the parent stock, the Three-Horned Giraffe, which is the
species here represented. The existing forms, including all species and
subspecies, intergrade and run together in a manner that is fairly
bewildering; but if the Giraffes could remain uninfluenced by man for a
sufficiently long period the probabilities are that the species now
branching off would be clearly established.
The oldest, the best-known and the most common Giraffe is the
three-horned species, found from central Uganda southward. The
five-horned variety meets the former in Uganda, and occurs from that
region westward to the edge of the great equatorial forest, and on
westward even to Lake Tchad, and the lower Niger Valley. Excepting in
Uganda, Kahma’s country, and a few other protected districts, the
Giraffe is now rare, particularly throughout the regions that are
accessible to hunters. Thousands of these wonderful creatures have been
killed by hunters, both white and black, solely for the sake of seeing
them dead, and leaving them as prey to the hyænas and hunting-dogs. It
seems to be beyond the power of most men who can shoot to see living
wild animals, no matter how large or wonderful, without desiring to
reduce them to carcasses, fit only for scavengers.
[Illustration: NUBIAN GIRAFFES.]
The Eland, (_Taurotragus oryx_), is the largest and most imposing of all
antelopes. As might be inferred from its great size, it is now so nearly
extinct that it has almost disappeared from the lists of dealers in wild
animals. The fine young pair now in the Antelope House was presented by
the Duke of Bedford, from his famous animal collection at Woburn Park.
The fully adult female is the gift of Mr. C. Ledyard Blair.
Of Elands there are two well-marked species. That of eastern and
southern Africa, here represented, was once numerous on many of the
fertile plains of the great plateau now known as Rhodesia, and in fact
throughout nearly the whole of the uplands of eastern Africa, from the
Cape to the Sahara. Unfortunately, however, white hunters and modern
firearms have reduced the countless thousands of the great herds to
numbers so small that the capture and exportation of Elands have
practically ceased.
Although a number of Elands have been born in captivity, the number on
public exhibition still remain very small. The only captive herd known
to the writer is that of the Duke of Bedford, in Woburn Park, England,
which is at once the admiration and envy of all collectors of living
wild animals.
The White-Tailed Gnu, (_Connochaetes gnu_), once was abundant in South
Africa, south of the Vaal River. But it has shared the fate of all the
other large mammals of that region, and only a few scattered bands still
exist. Nearly all of the specimens now living in captivity were born in
captivity, for both species of Gnu take kindly to life in parks and
gardens.
Every way considered, the Gnu is an animal of odd and remarkable form.
It has a nose of strange shape, its horns are curiously formed, the hair
on its head and neck exhibits various peculiarities, and its hips are
oddly modeled. Its long, flowing tail is so horse-like that for many
years this animal was pictured and popularly known as the “Horned
Horse.”
The White-Bearded Gnu, (_Connochaetes albojubatus_), is noticeably
larger than the white-tailed species, and in some respects it presents a
finer appearance. Its bulk is considerably greater, and its color is
more pleasing. This species bears a strong resemblance to the third
species, which is known as the Brindled or Blue Gnu, (_Connochaetes
taurinus_), from which the former is distinguished by its white mane and
jaw-tufts, and generally paler color. At wide intervals the
White-Bearded species inhabits southern East Africa, from about S. Lat.
23°, to the Albert Nyanza and Lake Rudolph, but chiefly near the coast.
In only one locality do we learn of its occurrence west of the 30th
meridian. To-day it is most numerous in German East Africa and the
southern portions of Uganda.
The Addax Antelope, (_Addax naso-maculatus_), is a spiral-horned
antelope which inhabits the southern edge of the Sahara Desert from
Dongola quite across Africa to Senegal. Its extremely broad and
spreading hoofs betoken a dweller upon sand, and are strongly suggestive
of the snow-shoe hoofs of the caribou. It is said that this animal is
not to be taken without making a journey into the desert, with camels.
The Leucoryx Antelope, (_Oryx leucoryx_), is the only member of its
genus which has curved horns. Because of the length and very slight
curvature of the horns, this species has by some writers been spoken of
as the Sabre Antelope, and by a mischievous perversion that name has
been turned into “Sable” Antelope, which refers to a totally different
creature, (_Hippotragus niger_). Anyone who places an order for the
purchase of a real Sable Antelope, and receives a Leucoryx instead of
_Hippotragus niger_, is profoundly disappointed.
This species is a desert habitant, and its home is the desert region of
North Africa from Dongola to the Senegal country. It is breeding
regularly here, and the offspring mature successfully. The largest
Leucoryx horns on record measure 39⅝ inches.
[Illustration: BEATRIX ANTELOPE]
[Illustration: BLESSBOK]
The Beisa Antelope, (_Oryx beisa_), is a good representative of the
group of straight-horned antelopes found in the genus _Oryx_. Of all the
long-horned species, the two Beisas and the Gemsbok of Africa, and the
Beatrix of Arabia, are the only species possessed of horns that are
practically straight from base to tip. The Gemsbok is the largest and
most showy species, being painted like a harlequin, in a startling
pattern of roan, black and white. The Beisa is a good second, however.
The horns of all these antelopes grow to great length, and are excellent
weapons for use in encounters with the smaller game-killing carnivores.
The largest horns of record measure 40 inches.
The Beisa inhabits eastern Central Africa, from Suakin on the Red Sea
southward to the Equator.
The Beatrix Antelope, (_Oryx beatrix_), of the Arabian Desert, is one of
the rarest antelopes to be found in captivity, and at this date this
interesting species is represented by a fine pair of specimens. The
longest horns of record measure 26 inches. Very few sportsmen have seen
this animal in its native haunts. Our pair has been breeding for three
years, and has reared two young.
The Sable Antelope, (_Hippotragus niger_), is by many persons regarded
as the handsomest of all the numerous species of African antelopes. In
appearance it is very proud and high-headed; it has imposing horns that
sweep backward in a semicircular curve; its large eyes and alert air
betoken keen intelligence, and its glossy black coat, marked with pure
white, render it a most conspicuous animal. On its native veldt it has
now become a very rare species, and seldom is taken by sportsmen. The
fine male specimen in the Park was presented by Miss Jean Walker
Simpson.
[Illustration: LEUCORYX ANTELOPE]
[Illustration: WHITE-TAILED GNU]
The Sing-Sing Waterbuck, (_Cobus unctuosus_), is a creature of the
lowlands, and frequents the dense tangles of tall reeds that border many
of the rivers of West Africa, above the great equatorial forest. In
captivity it sometimes is one of the most insanely nervous and
irrational creatures imaginable, ever seeking self-inflicted injuries.
The Blessbok, (_Damaliscus albifrons_), is a small but handsome
purple-and-white antelope which is now very nearly extinct. Formerly a
number of herds were preserved on fenced farms in the Transvaal and
Orange Free State, but it is feared that none of them survived the Boer
War. This species never lived north of the Limpopo, but south of that
river it once was so numerous that a truthful traveler described a vast
plain as being “purple with Blessbok.”
The Nilgai, (_Portax tragocamelus_), is the largest of the Indian
antelopes, and while it has the stature and the high shoulders of a
Baker roan antelope, its absurdly small horns give it, beside the large
antelopes of Africa, a very commonplace and unfinished appearance. The
males and females are as differently colored as if they belonged to
different species. This animal inhabits the roughest portions of the
central plains of Hindustan, from Mysore to the Himalayas. In northern
India it is found along the rivers Jumna and Ganges, in rugged and
barren tracts of ravines which in character and origin resemble our
western “bad-lands.”
[Illustration: ELAND]
The small antelopes will be found in the Small-Deer House, the next
building in order.
THE SMALL-DEER HOUSE, No. 49.
In captivity the small and delicate species of deer, antelopes and
gazelles are better cared for in enclosures that are not too large. For
such creatures, freedom in a large enclosure usually means early death
from accident or exposure.
The very important building called the Small-Deer House has been erected
with special reference to the wants of the interesting little hoofed
animals which are too small for the Antelope House and the large ranges.
In winter it will shelter the small tropical mountain sheep and goats,
which are unable to withstand the rigors of outdoor life on Mountain
Sheep Hill, and the tropical swine may also be expected here.
The Small-Deer House is situated in close proximity to the Antelope
House, and westward thereof. Of the buildings of secondary rank, it is
one of the most satisfactory, being roomy, well-lighted and capable of
comfortably housing and displaying a large and varied collection. The
structure is 158 feet in length by 46 feet in width. It contains thirty
compartments, each of which, under stress of necessity, can be
partitioned, and formed into two. The interior compartments are each 10
feet wide by 10 feet deep. The building is surrounded by a series of 34
corrals, connecting with the interior compartments, the average size of
each being 75 feet long by 20 feet wide at the outer end. All the fences
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