THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT 



only very high and influential circles in South Africa, 

 but by the general feeling of the civilised w^orld with 

 condemnation, as a step reflecting no credit upon 

 South Africa. 



" There remains, therefore, the question of reduc- 

 tion and confinement. Your Committee has not 

 succeeded in obtaining data — indeed, there does not 

 appear to be adequate data available — as to the 

 actual number of the present herd, as to hov^ many 

 are sufficient for propagation and preservation, or 

 as to the number that could be confined to the 

 Reserve without the expense of artificial feeding. 



" The existing Elephants have never been reliably 

 counted. There are more or less vague estimates 

 and guesses. Putting such information together as 

 it could obtain, your Committee hesitatingly ven- 

 tures its own guess that the minimum number may 

 not be much below lOO, nor the maximum much 

 above 150. Until the actual number is definitely 

 ascertained, it is, of course, impossible to determine 

 how many animals could be destroyed to leave a safe 

 remainder. 



" If the above-mentioned uncertainties could be 

 cleared up there would remain the question of the 

 means to be adopted for efficiently confining the 

 residue of the herd, of such size as may be deter- 

 mined upon, to the Reserve. The first problem is 

 the enclosure. For this purpose either an enormously 

 strong fence or else a deep trench has been suggested. 

 Your Committee has not been able to obtain a 



271 



