ELEPHANTS HELP THEIR WOUNDED TO ESCAPE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 February 1912, Page 4

ELEPHANTS HELP THEIR WOUNDED TO ESCAPE.

In Burmah, as in most parts of India, elephant shooting is proihibitel, and the only chance one gete of going after them is when a herd or a solitary animal runs amok and becomes a rogue. The Commissioner then ihae the power to proclaim them as such, when they may be hunted; the only other chance being the sparingly given permit to shoot one elephant in a specified period—. e.g., in twelve months. While out for a month on the Pegu Yomas after bison, in June to July, 1908, says A. St. John Wright, in an interesting article in the Field, I came across elephants on two occasions. Six cows and two young ones, and later on a young tusker and four cows. As I ihad not the necessary permit to shoot. I had to content myself with watching them and imagining how I would have tried to shoot them had I been allowed. As soon as E.V.W. and I got back atfer our leave we sent in an application to the LieutenantGovernor for permission to shoot one elephant oach, and this was granted up to December inclusive. After describing how the elephants were tracked, the writer continues—We determined to leave the Burmans in the nullah and go on by oureel/oe. and, if possible, pick out the tusker. As this was our flret attempt at elephant shooting, we kept together. By degrees we got closer to where the jungle was a little thinner, end from where we toped to get a clearer view. From there we did get our first glimpse of the elephants. After a while the herd began to get fidgety, and appeared likely to move away, bo we decided to take the first chance of a shot we could get. Thh was a very little time afterwards—viz., when he half turned round to join the reet of the herd, who wete slowly moving off.

"Whether it was the pent up excitement of ill© last half-hour tliat made us unsteady, or because the animal was moving as we fired, or a stray branch in the lino of flight or the bullet, Ido not know, but anyhow, although we both, fired, we failed to kill the elephant. Down he went as both rifles were fired, apparently as dead as oould be. On the noise of the shote She rest of the herd, instead of stampeding, quickly closed round the fallen one, and the whole herd moved quickly , away. Evidently the animal had , only been stunned, and had, by the , aid of the others, been helped on to his feet and away. To kill an ele- > phant stone dead his brain must be j reached, A shot in the head which > misses the brain simply stuns him, hut otherwise does no harm. There [ have (been many similar cases recordj ed of elephants helping their wound- > ed comrades to escape.