254 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 194 5 



species of Indian rhinoceroses — the Asiatic two-horned, the Indian 

 one-horned, and the lesser one-horned. The last named has most 

 likely already vanished. Many of the species of pheasants especially 

 need attention if they are to be saved, and the Argus pheasant is 

 actually endangered. 



Africa, long known as the continent of many species of remarkable 

 antelopes and other big-game animals, has maintained, particularly 

 through the British and Belgian Governments, extensive game pre- 

 serves, and as a rule has offered protection to wildlife. In spite of 

 this effort to save the fauna, however, a few species have become ex- 

 tinct and several others are vanishing. No less than a dozen species of 

 antelopes are endangered, among them the beautiful inyala. now prob- 

 ably limited to about 200 individuals in Kruger Park. The Bubal 

 hartebeest of North Africa has become scarce, and the Cape hartebeest 

 is reduced to about 40 animals. In the case of the bontebok of South 

 Africa, 23 were driven in 1929 into an enclosure of 1,800 acres set up 

 as Bontebok National Park. Of these animals, 16 survived and there 

 has been some increase, half-domesticated. There are not over 60 

 bonteboks alive today. The blesbok, a closely related antelope, is in 

 about the same status as the bontebok. Other African antelopes in 

 danger of extirpation include the white-tailed gnu, the giant sable 

 antelope, the giant or Lord Darby's eland, the gemsbok, and the addax. 

 The rare and unique okapi, modified forest giraffe of the Congo for- 

 ests, is decreasing in numbers. Other mammals in serious danger in 

 Africa include the Abyssinian ibex, mountain zebra, white rhinoceros, 

 hippopotamus, South African elephant, and gorilla. Among several 

 African birds endangered is the unique shoebill stork. 



Australia, the land of marsupials and many strange animals, is on 

 the verge of losing more of its unique species. Special legislation 

 prohibiting the taking of certain fur animals and forbidding even the 

 exportation of the fur or any part of the animal may save some of 

 these species. Especially in danger is the koala, often nicknamed 

 the "teddy bear," and the gray wallaby, one of the larger kangaroos. 

 The estimated population of koalas in Australia decreased from 

 250,000 to 1,100 in a few years before the establishment of a preserve 

 for the species on Phillip Island, Victoria, about 1938. In February 

 1942 there were 590 koalas in this colony. The hairy-nosed wombat 

 and the Tasmanian wolf, or thylacine, are both nearing extermination. 

 It is doubtful if the beautiful lyrebird can be saved. The hawk parrot, 

 as well as several other parrot species, are on the way to oblivion. 



In South America protection may have come too late to save in its 

 native habitat the now rare fur bearer, the chinchilla, as well as the 

 guanaco, wild ancestor of the domesticated llama, and the vicuna, 

 native wild ancestor of the domesticated alpaca. Three species of the 



