BRITISH GAME PRESERVES IN AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA
This brief chapter is offered as an object-lesson to the world at large.
In the early days of America, the founders of our states and territories
gave little heed, or none at all, to the preservation of wild life. Even
if they thought of that duty, undoubtedly they felt that the game would
always last, and that they had no time for such sentimental side issues
as the making of game preserves. They were coping with troubles and
perplexities of many kinds, and it is not to be wondered at that up to
forty years ago, real game protection in America went chiefly by
default.
In South Africa, precisely the same conditions have prevailed until
recent times. The early colonists were kept so busy shooting lions and
making farms that not one game preserve was made. If any men can be
excused from the work and worry of preserving game, and making
preserves, it is those who spend their lives pioneering and
state-building in countries like Africa. Men who continually have to
contend with disease, bad food, rains, insect pests, dangerous wild
beasts and native cussedness may well claim that they have troubles
enough, without going far into campaigns to preserve wild animals in
countries where animals are plentiful and cheap. It is for this reason
that the people of Alaska can not be relied upon to preserve the Alaskan
game. They are busy with other things that are of more importance to
them.
In May, 1900, representatives of the great powers owning territory in
Africa held a conference in the interests of the wild-animal life of
that continent. As a result a Convention was signed by which those
powers bound themselves "to make provision for the prevention of further
undue destruction of wild game." The principles laid down for universal
observance were as follows:
1. Sparing of females and immature animals.
2. The establishment of close seasons and game sanctuaries.
3. Absolute protection of rare species.
4. Restrictions on export for trading purposes of skins, horns,
tusks, etc.
5. Prohibition of the use of pits, snares and game traps.
The brave and hardy men who are making for the British people a grand
empire in Africa probably are greater men than far-distant people
realize. To them, the white man's burden of game preservation is
accepted as all in the day's work. A mere handful of British civil
officers, strongly aided by the Society for the Preservation of the
Fauna of the British Empire, have carved out and set aside a great chain
of game preserves reaching all the way from Swaziland and the Transvaal
to Khartoum. Taken either collectively or separately, it represents
grand work, characteristic of the greatest colonizers on earth. Those
preserves are worthy stones in the foundation of what one day will be a
great British empire in Africa. The names of the men who proposed them
and wrought them out should, in some way, be imperishably connected with
them as their founders, as the least reward that Posterity can bestow.
In Major J. Stevenson-Hamilton's fine work, "Animal Life in Africa,"[O]
the author has been at much pains to publish an excellent series of maps
showing the locations of the various British game preserves in Africa,
and the map published herewith has been based chiefly on that work. It
is indeed fortunate for the wild life of Africa that it has today so
powerful a champion and exponent as this author, the warden of the
Transvaal Game Preserves.
[Footnote O: Published by Heinemann, London, 1912.]
Events move so rapidly that up to this date no one, so far as I am
aware, has paused long enough to make and publish an annotated list of
the African game preserves. Herein I have attempted to _begin_ that task
myself, and I regret that at this distance it is impossible for me to
set down under the several titles the names of the men who made these
preserves possible, and actually founded them.
To thoughtful Americans I particularly commend this list as a showing of
the work of men who have not waited until the game had been _practically
exterminated_ before creating sanctuaries in which to preserve it. In
view of these results, how trivial and small of soul seems the mercenary
efforts of the organized wool-growers of Montana to thwart our plan to
secure a paltry fifteen square miles of grass lands for the rugged and
arid Snow Creek Antelope Preserve that is intended to help save a
valuable species from quick extermination.
At this point I must quote the views of a high authority on the status
of wild life and game preserves in Africa. The following is from Major
Stevenson-Hamilton's book.
"It is a remarkable phenomenon in human affairs how seldom the
experience of others seems to turn the scale of action. There are, I
take it, very few farmers, in the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State, or
the Transvaal, who would not be glad to see an adequate supply of game
upon their land. Indeed, the writer is constantly dealing with
applications as to the possibility of reintroducing various species from
the game reserves to private farms, and only the question of expense and
the difficulty of transport have, up to the present, prevented this
being done on a considerable scale. When, therefore, the relatively
small populations of such protectorates as are still well stocked with
game are heard airily discussing the advisability of getting rid of it
as quickly as possible, one realizes how often vain are the teachings of
history, and how well-nigh hopeless it is to quote the result of similar
action elsewhere. It remains only to trust that things may be seen in
truer perspective ere it is too late, and that those in whose temporary
charge it is may not cast recklessly away one of nature's most splendid
assets, one, moreover, which once lightly discarded, can never by any
possibility, be regained.
[Illustration: THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME PRESERVES OF AFRICA
The Numbers Refer to Corresponding Numbers in the Text]
"It is idle to say that the advance of civilization must necessarily
mean the total disappearance of all wild animals. This is one of those
glib fallacies which flows only too readily from unthinking lips.
Civilization in its full sense--not the advent of a few scattered
pioneers--of course, implies their restriction, especially as regards
purely grass-feeding species, within certain definite bounds, both as
regards numbers and sanctuaries. But this is a very different thing from
wholesale destruction, that a few more or less deserving individuals may
receive some small pecuniary benefit, or gratify their taste for
slaughter to the detriment of everyone else who may come after. _The
fauna of an empire is the property of that empire as a whole, and not of
the small portion of it where the animals may happen to exist; and while
full justice and encouragement must be given to the farmer and pioneer,
neither should be permitted to entirely demolish for his own advantage
resources which, strictly speaking, are not his own_."--("Animal Life in
Africa." p. 24.)
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AFRICAN GAME PRESERVES
BRITISH EAST AFRICA:
1.[P] _The Athi Plains Preserve_.--This is situated between the Uganda
Railway and the boundary of German East Africa. Its northern boundary is
one mile north of the railway track. It is about 215 miles long east and
west by 105 miles from north to south, and its area is about 13,000
square miles. It is truly a great preserve, and worthy of the plains
fauna that it is specially intended to perpetuate.
[Footnote P: These numbers refer to corresponding numbers on the map of
Africa.]
2. _The Jubaland Preserve_.--This preserve lies northwest of Mount
Kenia. Its southwestern corner is near Lake Baringo, the Laikipia
Escarpment is its western boundary up to Mt. Nyiro, and from that point
its northern boundary runs 225 miles to Marsabit Lake. From that point
the boundary runs south-by-west to the Guaso Nyiro River, which forms
the eastern half of the southern boundary. Its total area appears to be
about 13,000 square miles.
In addition to the two great preserves described above the government of
British East Africa has established on the Uasin Gishu Plateau a
centrally located sanctuary for elands, roan antelopes and hippopotamii.
There is also a small special rhinoceros preserve about fifty miles
southeastward of Nairobi, around Kiu station, on the railway.
EGYPTIAN SUDAN:
3. A great nameless sanctuary for wild life exists on the eastern bank
of the Nile, comprising the whole territory between the main stream, the
Blue Nile and Abyssinia. Its length (north and south) is 215 miles, and
its width is about 125 miles; which means a total area of about 26,875
square miles. Natives and others living within this sanctuary may hunt
therein--if they can procure licenses.
SOMALILAND:
4. _Hargeis Reserve_, about 1,800 square miles.
5. _Mirso Reserve_, about 300 square miles.
UGANDA:
6. _Budonga Forest Reserve_.--This small reserve embraces the whole
eastern shore and hinterland of Lake Albert Nyanza, and is shaped like a
new moon.
7. _Toro Reserve_.--This small reserve lies between Lakes Albert Nyanza
and Albert Edward Nyanza, touching both.
NYASALAND, OR THE BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA PROTECTORATE.--A small
territory, but remarkably well stocked with game.
8. _Elephant Marsh Preserve_.--A small area in the extreme southern end
of the Protectorate, on both sides of the Shire River, chiefly for
buffalo.
9. _Angoniland Reserve_.--This was created especially to preserve about
one thousand elephants. It is forty miles west of the southwestern arm
of Lake Nyasa.
TRANSVAAL:
10. _Sabi-Singwitza-Pongola Preserve_.--This great preserve occupies the
whole region between the Drakenberg Mountains and the Lebombo Hills. Its
total area is about 10,500 square miles. It lies in a compact block
about 210 miles long by 50 miles wide, along the Portuguese border.
11. _Rustenburg Reserve_.--This is situated at the head of the Limpopo
River, and covers about 3,500 square miles.
SWAZILAND:
12. _The Swaziland Reserve_ contains about 1,750 square miles, and
occupies the southwestern corner of Swaziland.
RHODESIA:
13. _The Nweru Marsh Game Reserve_ is in northwestern Rhodesia,
bordering the Congo Free State. The description of its local boundaries
is quite unintelligible outside of Rhodesia.
_Luangwa Reserve_.--The locality of this reserve cannot be determined
from the official description, which gives no clue to its shape or size.
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GAME PRESERVES IN AUSTRALASIA
NEW ZEALAND:
_Little Barrier Island_ in the north, and _Resolution Island_, in the
south; and concerning both, details are lacking.
AUSTRALIA:
_Kangaroo Island_, near Adelaide, South Australia, is 400 miles
northwest of Melbourne. Of the total area of this rather large island of
300 square miles, 140 square miles have been set aside as a game
preserve, chiefly for the preservation of the mallee bird (_Lipoa
occelata_). It is believed that eventually the whole island will become
a wild-life sanctuary, and it would seem that this can not be
consummated a day too soon for the vanishing wild life.
_Wilson's Promontory_. Adelaide, is a peninsula well suited to the
preservation of wild life, especially birds, and it is now a sanctuary.
Many private bird refuges have been created in Australia.
TASMANIA:
_Eleven Bird Refuges_ have been created, with a total area of 26,000
acres,--an excellent record for Tasmania!
_Freycinet's Peninsula_.--At present this wild-life sanctuary is not
adequately protected from illicit hunting and trapping; but its full
protection is now demanded, and no doubt this soon will be provided by
the government. I am informed that this offers a golden opportunity to
secure a fine wild-life sanctuary at ridiculously small cost to the
public. The whole world is interested in the preservation of the
remarkable fauna of Tasmania. The extermination of the thylacine would
be a zoological calamity; but it is impending.
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