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as many as 2,000 elephants throughout his life, making him one of the most experienced elephant hunters of all time. Pearson shot one bull elephant in the Lado
Enclave with tusks that weighed 155 and 153 pounds (70 and 69 kg) respectively, whilst Pearson told the Prince of Wales that in the Lado he shot a total of three bull elephants with tusks that weighed over 150 pounds (68 kg) each. A cow elephant Pearson shot had the heaviest tusks ever recorded for a cow, 55 and 59 pounds (25 and 27 kg) respectively, the tusks from that cow ended up in the
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383:(the former German East Africa) where licences for up to 25 elephants could be obtained, then later when these too were outlawed, he returned to Uganda. Despite having earned a great deal of money during his time poaching in the Lado, Pearson had little experience in saving or investing money and he fell upon hard times, making a meager living from the ivory he harvested from the few licences he could obtain to shoot elephant in the British territories.
44:
302:, Pearson immediately agreed to join Buckley on an expedition there that year. Whilst his partnership with Buckley did not last beyond that first expedition, the pair saw many elephant, on morning encountering a herd they estimated to number 2,000 animals. Pearson continued to hunt solo in the Lado Enclave until 1910, when the territory returned to British rule following the death of
470:. It was from this spot, which offers panoramic views of the area, that Pearson used to sit and look for elephants through field glasses. Sir William honoured Pearson's request and, upon consulting the Prince of Wales, established a fund for those who wished to contribute to Pearson's memorial, many people including the Prince of Wales contributed and the monument was erected.
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334:, but also to meet the famed elephant hunters of the Lado. During a dinner in Koba with those hunters who were available, including Pearson, Roosevelt offered a toast "to the ivory poachers of the Lado Enclave", upon hearing the good humoured protests of some of those present, Roosevelt reworded the toast "to the company of gentlemen adventurers".
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Pearson left no detailed accounts of his hunting career and was loath to discuss the total number of elephants he shot or the largest tusks he ever harvested. It has been estimated that over the course of his life, including his time as a poacher, legal hunter and elephant control officer, he shot
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the crew simply laughed at his request to be let ashore so he decided to swim, having swum 200 yards (180 m) he noticed a shark's fin making a beeline towards him, after some struggles he managed to clasp a piece of driftwood and paddle ashore, several sharks menacingly circling him the entire
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Pearson was said to be a tall, square-shouldered man, standing over 6 feet (180 cm) tall, who sported an enormous moustache. Pearson, like the other hunters of Lado, was a fit man, always hunting on foot, he would walk between 20 and 30 miles (32 and 48 km) a day following a single bull
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Pearson typically organised his illegal hunting expeditions from Koba, a
British administrative post on the opposite bank of the Nile from the Lado Enclave. The illegal hunters of the Lado typically earned £3,000 to £4,000 profit from a six-month poaching expedition into the territory and Pearson
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when they were charged by another rogue bull, Pearson grabbed the Prince and flung him to safety (into a thorn bush) then he and Salmon fired simultaneously at the elephant, which crashed dead to ground 4 yards (3.7 m) from the Prince. Sir
William Gowers later wrote "it was an exhibition of
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The illegal hunters in the Lado made great use of
Belgium's inadequate administration of the territory, as well as the Belgian authorities' mistreatment of the native inhabitants. Typically the hunters of the Lado earned the loyalty and friendship of the local tribesmen by offering them the meat
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Pearson was respected and admired by his fellow hunters, but most people who knew him found him to be brusque and uncommunicative. Pearson was said to lead a spartan life, enjoying only one luxury being fine champagne, every time he returned from safari he would drink a large number of bottles.
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would arm local tribes and cause dissatisfaction amongst the native tribespeople. The
British Army requested the services of men with extensive knowledge of the East African bush and experience in dealing with local tribesmen, Pearson readily enlisted. Pearson was given the honorary rank of
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but could not settle into a life in
Melbourne and at the age of 18 he left home and travelled Australia in search of adventure. In those years Pearson travelled throughout Australia extensively, working in various occupations including as a surveyor's assistant in
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In an effort to combat the destruction to cropping and fencing caused by elephant that prevented the development of agriculture, in 1924 the
Ugandan Government created the Uganda Game Department. The Ugandan Protectorate was divided into four large districts and a
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presence of mind, quickness and courage which I am glad to have been privileged to witness, and which none of those who saw it will ever forget." The Prince gave
Pearson a royal tie pin and cufflinks as mementoes of the occasion.
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from the elephant they killed, and in exchange the tribesmen provided warning of movements of the
Belgian patrols, some essential food supplies and porters to assist in transporting the harvested ivory back to Uganda. In 1909,
408:. Pearson was assigned the West Nile province which included the southern part of the old Lado Enclave, an area he knew intimately, and a salary of £50 a month, to further improve their lot in 1925 the Governor of Uganda,
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was considered one of the most successful of them, amassing a small fortune. Upon the imposition of
British administrative rule of the Lado Enclave, Pearson recommenced licensed elephant hunting, hunting in the
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hospital on 10 September 1929 at the age of 52. Pearson had confided in Sir William Gowers that upon his death he would like a small monument to his memory in the Bakumi district on an escarpment that overlooks
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with extensive experience, along with a large native staff, was recruited as a game warden to control the elephant numbers in each district, all under the direction of chief game warden
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In 1904 Pearson met the veteran elephant hunter Bill Buckley who told Pearson of the large herds of elephant that could be poached with relative impunity in the largely un-policed
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428:) as hunting guides during their visit to Uganda. In 1928 Pearson, again with Salmon, was charged with organising an 8-day hunting safari for the Prince of Wales (later
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432:) during the Uganda leg of his East African royal tour. On the last day of the safari the royal party were following the tracks of a bull elephant near the
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in 1903. A short time later he decided to hunt elephant professionally, travelling to Uganda he initially hunted in the
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but the found the newly imposed game laws limiting hunters to three elephant a year too restricting to make a living.
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In 1924 Pearson, along with Samaki Salmon, accompanied the safari for the Duke and Duchess of York (later
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Legends of the African frontier: the life and times of Africa's most unforgettable characters, 1800–1945
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for smaller game and occasionally elephant. In later years Pearson became an enthusiast of
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Monument erected for Pearson in the Bukumi(Butiaba escarpment), Buliisa district, Uganda
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After an operation for appendicitis Pearson died of complications in the
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in 1914, the British government were concerned the German authorities in
404:, Captain C.K.D. Palmer-Kerrison and fellow veteran of the Lado enclave
257:, in 1900 Pearson volunteered as an ordinary seaman on a ship to get to
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Throughout the majority of his career Pearson hunted elephant with a
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371:'s Intelligence Department, he served out the war in this capacity.
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605:"Pete Pearson: elephant hunter and game ranger", reprinted in 1934
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way. Upon arrival in South Africa, Pearson managed to join a
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After World War I Pearson returned to hunting, initially in
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After the Boer War, Pearson remained in Africa, sailing to
768:, "Obituary: Mr P.C. Pearson", Kampala, 14 September 1929.
710:"Edwardian ivory poachers over the Nile", first published
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Elephant! The renaissance of hunting the African elephant
517:with 24 in (61 cm) barrels, as well as a
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784:White Hunters: the golden age of African safaris
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545:he had one custom made by John Rigby & Co.
733:, Long Beach, California: Safari Press, 2012,
683:, Long Beach, California: Safari Press, 2008,
645:, Long Beach, California: Safari Press, 2005,
192:(16 January 1877 – 10 September 1929) was an
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861:People educated at Caulfield Grammar School
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400:. Pearson was recruited, along with
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826:, Sportsman’s Vintage Press, 2013,
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462:at a place beside the road between
294:"Gentleman adventurer" of the Lado
270:regiment towards the end the war.
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426:Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
196:-born game ranger, poacher, and
643:Elephant hunters, men of legend
555:List of famous big game hunters
541:, although his favourite was a
497:Hunting preferences and records
317:double rifle, Lado Enclave 1905
29:Australian-born elephant hunter
754:, London: 'East Africa', 1928.
504:Natural History Museum, London
402:Captain R.J.D. "Samaki" Salmon
326:traveled to Uganda during the
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824:African rifles and cartridges
714:, Vol 57, No 227, April 1958
229:in 1877, he was educated at
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752:The company of adventurers
304:King Leopold II of Belgium
807:, 8 February 1917, p 1352
358:With the outbreak of the
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369:East Africa Protectorate
231:Caulfield Grammar School
718:rhinoresourcecenter.com
190:Peter C. "Pete" Pearson
891:Australian expatriates
560:W.D.M. "Karamojo" Bell
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253:In order to reach the
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896:Expatriates in Uganda
886:People from Melbourne
765:East African Standard
539:.425 Westley Richards
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398:Captain C.R.S. Pitman
342:predominantly in the
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150:Years of service
720:, 20 September 2017.
641:Tony Sánchez-Ariño,
225:Pearson was born in
48:Pearson, Uganda 1928
866:Explorers of Africa
565:James H. Sutherland
543:.375 H&H Magnum
274:Professional hunter
198:professional hunter
871:Australian hunters
729:Craig Boddington,
523:bolt action rifles
511:.577 Nitro Express
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410:Sir William Gowers
367:Lieutenant in the
364:German East Africa
324:Theodore Roosevelt
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315:.577 Nitro Express
261:. Upon arrival at
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832:978-1-940001-01-2
809:, retrieved from
792:978-0-8050-6736-1
739:978-1-57157-386-5
716:, retrieved from
651:978-1-57157-343-8
607:, retrieved from
601:Ararat Advertiser
406:F.G. "Deaf" Banks
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111:Years active
75:10 September 1929
16:(Redirected from
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876:Elephant hunters
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679:David Chandler,
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430:King Edward VIII
375:Post-war hunting
332:white rhinoceros
288:Masindi district
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90:Other names
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36:Peter C. Pearson
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531:.404 Jeffery
515:double rifle
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394:white hunter
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348:Ubangi-Shari
344:Ituri forest
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300:Lado Enclave
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259:South Africa
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153:c.1901–1902
144:British Army
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18:Pete Pearson
856:1929 deaths
851:1877 births
474:Description
460:Lake Albert
416:Royal guide
387:Game warden
354:World War I
248:Broken Hill
202:East Africa
106:game warden
845:Categories
571:References
535:.416 Rigby
527:.350 Rigby
484:elephant.
381:Tanganyika
244:Queensland
221:Early life
194:Australian
178:Lieutenant
162:1914–1918
128:Allegiance
488:Character
360:Great War
236:Gippsland
227:Melbourne
208:Biography
114:1903–1929
65:Australia
61:Melbourne
881:Poachers
549:See also
513:ejector
479:Physique
330:to hunt
255:Boer War
157:Boer War
138:Service/
468:Butiaba
464:Masindi
455:Kampala
284:Mombasa
268:cavalry
216:Pearson
79:Kampala
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537:and a
263:Durban
140:branch
104:&
83:Uganda
609:Trove
441:Death
280:Kenya
828:ISBN
788:ISBN
735:ISBN
685:ISBN
647:ISBN
533:, a
529:, a
466:and
424:and
242:and
174:Rank
93:Pete
72:Died
54:Born
200:in
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