228 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



all, SO preserves are becoming less popular, (ii) Reserves, in which no 

 shooting is allowed, but which afford no particular facilities for 

 the public and consider only the conservation of the animals. 

 Reserves exist in virtue of government proclamations, approved 

 by the Secretary of State in the case of the colonies. During the 

 past fifteen years, all the East African colonies have seen extensions 

 or creations of new reserves which far surpass the excisions from 

 old reserves, but there is no statutory guarantee of their inviol- 

 ability. The local public generally take a lively interest in game 

 reserves, but they are nevertheless open to attack from many sides, 

 and sooner or later some interest which is not compatible with con- 

 servation of game may gain control of the areas, (iii) National 

 Parks are established by statute, and thus are legally more secure: 

 public interest in the preservation of national parks is on the whole 

 stronger than in the maintenance of game reserves. The type of 

 legal protection which they enjoy may be illustrated by Articles 

 2 and 4 of the constitution of the Kruger National Park in the 

 Union of South Africa: 



'2. The Governor-General may by Proclamation in the Gazette, 

 constitute any other area of land a national park for the purposes 

 of this Act, provided that no such proclamation shall be issued 

 until Parliament by resolution of both Houses has authorized the 

 constitution of any such area as a national park. 



'4. The boundaries of any area constituted a park shall not be 

 altered and no portion of such area shall be capable of alienation 

 except under the authority of an Act of Parliament.' 



National parks are usually constituted with two objects in view, 

 namely ( i ) the preservation in perpetuity of natural beauty and 

 interest, including animals, plants, geology, and scenery, and (2) 

 for the recreation and enjoyment of the public. One or other of 

 these aims may be stressed according to local conditions; thus in 

 America the second object takes precedence to the firstin some areas, 

 whereas in Africa the interests of wild fauna are preponderant. 

 Even where a large public takes advantage of a national park for 

 recreation, the fauna and flora can be safeguarded by reserving 

 special areas as breeding sanctuaries with limited access, and other 

 areas as sites for camping and other human activities. 



The asset of a local urban public is very desirable for a national 



