THE BIG GAME OF AFRICA 



numbers. I am sorry, however, to say that in the few years 

 between 1906 and 1910 these herds have noticeably dimin- 

 ished. Where I in 1906 saw Hterally thousands of harte- 

 beests, wildebeests, and zebra, I found in 19 10 only hun- 

 dreds. In spite of game laws and large game preserves, 

 it is probably only a question of time when most of these 

 graceful animals will be rare, and some of them possibly 

 exterminated also in the aforenamed countries. 



The eland is the largest of all antelopes. Years ago 

 great herds of this magnificent beast roamed around all 

 over South Africa, but they are now practically extinct 

 in the country south of the Orange River. They are at 

 present most plentiful in Nyassaland, German and British 

 East Africa. In this latter country they are fairly com- 

 mon, and with the present strict game laws and big, suit- 

 able game preserves, the eland will probably survive in 

 British East Africa for a good many decades to come. The 

 best place to secure a fine eland in the last-named pro- 

 tectorate is, without doubt, the Kenia-Laikipia region. The 

 eland seems to develop larger and more powerful horns 

 in this part of the country than in the southern part of the 

 protectorate, where he is easily found on and around the 

 Sotik and Loita plains. Even not far from Nairobi, to the 

 northeast of the Athi Plains, and down along both the Athi 

 and Tana Rivers, the eland is still quite plentiful, although 

 lately he has been hunted there considerably. 



The eland is particularly fond of bush and open forest 

 country, but in places where they are not much hunted 

 they are quite often found even on the plains; still they 

 never go very far away from some kind of cover. In dis- 

 tricts where the eland has been a good deal disturbed he 



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