Mascots- Nongqai Vol 17 No 5

EARLY SOUTH AFRICAN MASCOTS

Hennie Heymans

1912 Police Pet: Zebra

Most regiments had a regimental pet, and the Colonial Natal (Mounted) Police was no exception to this rule. Our magazine has featured various police and military pets in countless photographs. Mans best friend, the dog, featured in most photographs.

One regimental mascot that stood out was a tame Zebra that did duty as regimental mascot. One day the unfortunate creature broke out of the stables at Alexandra Rd barracks in Pietermaritzburg and absconded. Poachers caught the Zebra for the pot and ate it. The poor poachers, in turn, were ‘caught’ by the police and were packed of to jail.

Zebra

Here is a photograph of the Zebra on duty:

Baboon

• Here is an example of an Army mascot at the front during the First World War in Europe:

Monkey

Monkey business – 1915 Police Machine Gunners with Mascot in Johannesburg

Police officials love animals. Most police installations, training institutions and police stations have various animals on their grounds as well as beautiful gardens and fish ponds.

The police e.g. at the then Hammanskraal Training Depot had many animals even game roaming around. At dog units, here and oversees, they keep animals so that police dogs get used to other animals.

Elephant

The SA Police doing duty in South West Africa had an elephant they saved as baby and adopted it, making it one of the largest land animals that were ever kept.