ANIMAL SWIMMERS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 February 1929, Page 7

ANIMAL SWIMMERS

As an instance ol the swimming capacity of the deer, Mr .1). L. Poppclwell. of Gore, who gave a paper before the Science Congress, tells of an instance down Stewart Island way where a deer swam three miles to an outlying island. Down South, where the rivers arc many and strong, and the bridges are il'ow or none, horses and cattle on the outback stations also become expert al natation. On one station the horses were so trained that when a river was reached the drovers simply unsaddled them and told the horses to get over. The sagacious animals would take to the water and make straight across to the other side, where they waited lor their masters. On one occasion, where a drove of cattle was being got over a river at the edge of a lake, there was an obstruction —a tree or something—which the cattle did not care about, and the whole herd turned into th lake and swam three-quarters of a mile lie fore a boat was secured and they were headed back. r l hoy swam the return three-quarters of a mile, and then went off on the right track as though such a long swim were an everyday affair.