384 GAME AND GAME PRESERVAT[()X IX ZULULAND. 



the south t)f the White Umfolozi. and it i> true that at any 

 time a number of these animals may he encountered there, out- 

 side the Reserve, some, at least, of which are probably resident 

 outside. This fact led to the extension of the Game Reserve 

 to the boundaries provided for under Government Notice No. 

 322 of 1907, previously referred to, but owing to complications 

 which subsequently arose in connection with the occurrence of 

 Nagana, last year it has reverted tem])orarily to its old boun- 

 daries between the Umfolozi Rivers. 



The area of this reduced (iame Reserve is approximately 

 73,000 acres. 



The Dukuduku Reserve, lying between the lower reaches of 

 the Umfolozi River and the sea, and to the north of Native Re- 

 serve No. 4, merits but little notice ; it is a sandy waste of low bush 

 country, and contains little game beyond Waterbuck, Bushbuck 

 and Red Bush-Dtiiker. 



Bush-pigs are very numerous, and until (|uite recently it 

 was more or less the headquarters of flic Zululand Elephant, a 

 magnificent bull, which in February of this year was done to 

 death by a native, for which scandalous deed he was mulcted in 

 a fine of £50 or six months' impriso)imeiif! 



It was nearly a month after the event that the animal's 

 death became known, by which time, of course, the hide was 

 useless, and even the skeleton had been partially damaged. Steps 

 were at once taken to recover as much of the latter as possible, 

 and with the kind assistance of some of the neighbouring planters 

 the Game Conservator was enabled to carry out this work. 



Reference has already been made to trouble which has from 

 time to time been caused by the proximit\- of natives' kraals to 

 the Reserve borders, and the i)resence of others acttialK- within 

 the boundaries. 



These constitute, in my_ opinion, a serious menace to the 

 well-being of these Reserves, especially in view of the fact that 

 practically all the natives [jossess dogs, some of which have 

 actually been shot when in pursuit of game therein. Moreover, 

 twice during the last two years one of the l^^eserves, the Hlu- 

 hluwe, has been Ijurnt out almost from one end to the other, 

 with the result that much game has been driven outside, and 

 on the first occasion a yoinig rhinoceros was burned to death. 



It may also be recorded that on one of these occasions the 

 natives who fired the grass and who were charged with the 

 offence in the local Court, were ac(|uitted'. 



It cannot be too urgently insisted that a ( i.nnc Reserxc, if 

 it is to fulfil its functions proptTly, must be an actual sanchiarv 

 within which the animals nuist be assured of absolute immunity, 

 not alone from harm, i.e., iKxlily harm. Imt also from all dis- 

 turl)ing elements of whatever nature. 



Of the latter, an advancing wall of fire, fi\e miles in length, 

 leaping along through four feet high grass, may certainly be 

 considered a type. 



The conlidence which may l)e established in wild animals 



