A Strange Animal.

Manawatu Herald, 20 September 1898, Page 2

A Strange Animal.

Mr W, D. Lysnar has returned from a visit to his station, ,smd confirms the statement that indications exist on Mount Arowhana of the presence of some strange large animal where it was reported to have been seen by a Maori a fortnight ago: 'Messrs Lysnar and Hansen (a naturalist, who accompanied him), state they saw sufficient to satisfy them that some strange animal had been haunting the place, and the photos they took confirm that impression. Leading towards the tree in which the animal was supposed to have its home, for a of xo yards, wjW a weU-fo|xned rut-shaped tract of such peculiar formation that it is supposed it can only have been made by an animal dragging its heavy tail along the ground. Round about the root of the tree there were numerous evidences of. the traffic of some heavy animal. There were three places round the tree which seemed to indicate that it had been trying to get into the tree. Mr Hanseii and a native climbed some distance up the tree and examined tha various holes in it, and their impression was that the kumi (if it be kumi) was not there. Amongst the debris in one of the nest at the foot of the tree were found a quantity o£ pigeon feathers. These were as though they had been chewed in the mouth of an animal. They were not old feathers, The supposition is that the kumi had been feasting on the pigeon, taking i£into its mouth whole, and had.spat out the feathers. From the way in which the natives described the gait of the animal be saw and its other pecriliarities, Mr Hansen is confident that it is a large reptile. « *