More Human than Human

Unfortunately, even Google yields very little about the San Persistence Hunt. Kalahari Bushmen (the San) still practise this very ancient form of hunting where the hunter will run his, usually antelope, prey to exhaustion.

David Attenborough documented this in one of his “The Life of Mammals” programs. (Thanks Martin!) From this programme synopsis:

There are only four men on Earth who can run a kudu antelope to its death. They are Kalahari bushmen, and this persistence hunt is thought to link modern humans to the earliest form of human hunting.

If you have any idea what a Kudu looks like or how far and fast it can run, you’ll realise that this is a feat of singular superhumanity. I cannot imagine what kind of mental and physical effort it has to involve running to exhaustion a creature which is clearly physically better evolved. Do you believe that you’ll be able to run for days on end in the Kalahari Desert?

If you come across any other information regarding the persistence hunt of the San (maybe a transcript of that episode of the Life of Mammals) please let me know!