Writing about early female big-game hunters, aka historical huntresses, was not as easy as I thought it would be. I chose 2 women, Delia J. Akeley and Mary Kingsley, who I feel exhibited strength and who pursued their dreams despite what society expected of them. And although these ladies wrote many books, there is very little information available about them.
Female Historical Huntresses, Big-Game Hunters
Delia J. Akeley (“Mickie”), born in Wisconsin on December 5, 1875, worked, alongside her husband, Carl, as a respected taxidermist. In 1905, The Chicago Field Museum commissioned Carol and her to Africa and collect examples of elephants. Delia had never fired a gun before, but she quickly learned how to shoot and hunt in order to assist her husband. Among the many animals collected during the expedition, Delia successfully brought back 2 of the finest elephants.
The couple returned to Africa in 1909, this time on an expedition for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. When an elephant injured her husband, Delia took charge of the exhibition for three months. She hunted every day, also observing the behavior of monkeys. The museum still displays one of the elephants from this trip in its Africa Hall.
1924 found Delia divorced and led a small expedition in the Congo to hunt and photograph animals. While there, she began studying reclusive Pygmy tribes.
Throughout her life, Delia traveled many…
