^H6 (;ame and game i-keskrvatiox ix zululand. 



dogs were brought forth regularly each year, and upon three 

 occasions the litters were destroyed Ijy the Game-guards ; a con- 

 stantly-used wagon-road passed within So yards of the jjlace. 



In recent years lions have occasionally bred in the L'nifolozi 

 (ianie Reserve, but their chosen breeding ground is the Ubombo 

 thcrnveld, in which, with the excejition of Hlabisa. more shot)tin.g 

 is done than in all the other divisions put together. 



Unfortunately for the food argument, those who make use 

 of it are constantly telling us that the food supply is becoming 

 exhausted in the (lame Reserves, and that all the small game is 

 killed off 1)\- the vermin ; it is therefure difficult to understand 

 why, if that is tht; ease, \ermin sliuidd continue io rl'ow anv 

 ])artiality for such places. 



The fact of the matter is, and this also answers the second 

 query propounded, that it is a case of any stick being good enough 

 to beat a dog with. M\' records show that for each littering 

 down place of wild dogs found in the Reserves, we have found 

 seven outside. And in any case, even were these figures re- 

 versed, it wfudd ha\e very little signification, because these ani- 

 mals are the most pronounced wanderers of all the mammal 

 fauna of Zululand, never remaining more than two or three days 

 at a time in one locality. True, when the period of i)arturition 

 arri\es, the bitches are com])elled to remain longer in one s])Ot. 

 but when it is over they quickly rejoin the pack. 



The following figures may be of interest : During the year 

 1913, twenty-one wild dogs were killed by the Game Conservator 

 and his staff; during 1914. the numlier killed amounted to fifty- 

 two, and in 1915 to sixteen; giving a total of 89. Of this num- 

 ber, 17 were killed in Game Reserves, and the remainder outside. 



IJuring the past three years a further record has been kept 

 at the office of the Game Conservator df the localities (confined 

 to the Dixisions of Mahlabatini, Fllal)isa, Ndwandwe, Ubombo 

 and Ingwavuma) in wliieh wild <logs have been .seen, local na- 

 tives having given consitlerable assistance in the matter. The 

 ■data are still insufficient to enable a definite statement to be made 

 ti}X)n the subject, but already much has been learned oi their 

 movements, which have been recorded upon a large scale map. 

 It would be tresi)assing too nuuii upon the space allotted io me 

 if I were to set forth the restdts obtained, even though the\- are 

 of a most interesting nature. 



The Nagana (juestion and its lelaiion to game preservation 

 n(;w claims attention, anil it is indeed a thornv one. 



I ha\e no delinite information as to the ])eriod when, and 

 the manner in which the coiuro\ers\- u])on this subject tirst arose, 

 but I fmd that during ilir course of iJu- discussion upon .\ct No. 

 iS i.i 190O. uhere])y the l.a\\> relating to game in Znlulantl and 

 Natal were consolidated, the I'rinie Minister (the Hon. C". ). 

 Smythe) referred to the fact that Zebra and V\'ildebeesten were 

 held to be largely re>])onsible for the spread of the clisease. 



.^ince that time ajjjiarently the outcr\' against the game a.s 

 being the res])()nsible host of the try]>ano.soma, and against the 



