NEW TYPE OF RHINOCEROS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3592, 31 October 1905, Page 4

NEW TYPE OF RHINOCEROS.

fusal! Herds of the Species, White in Color, Lately Discovered In Darkest Africa. There are albinos in nearly every Species of created things—white negroes, white elephants, white mice and white deer —but uu to a recent date no one had ever seen a white rhinoceros. It is now reported that these are in existence in a recently explored portion of Africa. They are almost extinct and probably not more than a dozen or so are left. The KeTue Sciem-ifique prints an account of n recent meeting- with a small herd of these animals in Natal. Fortunately, thev arc strictly protected by law, and , fortunately also, the party that met- the animals included the governor of the colony, otherwise the species might have been now more nearly extinct than ever before, for hunters are Dot very scrupulous in such matters. • They (the rhinoceri) were moving at a f’-ow pace toward a jungle and easily allowed the observers to approach- Tin- party came within 50 yards of the huge quadrupeds, which were cropping the grass on the plain. The rhinoceri apparently were not at all disturbed. The horsemen dismounted mid approached yet nearer, stopping about 20 yards from, the herd. During a minute or two the animals seemed to pay no attention whatever to thf human beings who were watching ih.*ni and kept on browsing. Soon they bt gun to sniff the ciir, as if they had (li.H-iivyred something disquieting or disavvi-able, yet, curiously enough, they sr-i-i!!•-■ d not to- see the visitors, although ihe latter were not hidden. After a short time, during which they showed a sort ofwague preoccupation, they withdrew, first walking and finally trotting. Doubtless it is very seldom that these animals may be seen foi’ so long at such short range.

The h-rd was composed of four adults (one a powerful male) and of one animal about three-quarters grown. Thi' same day a herd of three .ither rhiJi.jners were seen, one male, oue female and a young one. Thus eight individuals were seen, and probably these comprise ail thaf is left of the species in (he region, except, perhur.s. one or two animals. It is e stire ■■ ->‘d t h -i•* there may be ten alfo-gi-rlv i; t*. K P-ved that there ar? ti ‘ - i>. f I Thom bo chain, bu:. this is n v ' :i : . 'jo,, v-hite rhinoced v \ pi-otecteii a.r possifcic !' u* iwi ci y forbidden to hunt them on per.r.’ty of a fine of $250 to SSOO or Impris Tent, and the governor himeeF 'Tmot give permission to kill them. This is very wdae, for even if there r. main as many as 20 white rhinoccri in the world there are certainly no more. And i t is rather late to take up the work of preserving this interesting species.