THE ELEPHANT 19 



altogether forbidden. Nevertheless very large numbers 

 are still slain in out-of-the-way districts, where control is 

 impracticable. It is believed that at the present moment 

 a large illicit trade goes on through Abyssinia and possibly 

 parts of Somaliland, in ivory obtained from animals 

 killed in British territory. In 1907 it became generally 

 known that the Lado Enclave, at that time under Belgian 

 jurisdiction, swarmed with elephants. Thither, accor- 

 dingly, flocked profit hunters from all parts of Europe 

 and Africa without right or licence, but considering the 

 venture well worth the risk. It is impossible to determine 

 how many elephants fell, but the number must certainly, 

 judging by the immense quantities of ivory which paid 

 transit dues through British territory, have run into 

 thousands. In the year ending March 1908, 15,820 

 worth of ivory was exported from British East Africa, 

 61,497 from Uganda ; while the same period saw 539 

 tons or 560,552 worth of ivory imported into the United 

 Kingdom, which means, allowing each elephant to carry 

 100 Ibs. of ivory, that over 12,000 were accounted for 

 in that year. But as it is probable that a very large 

 proportion did not carry tusks of anything like that weight, 

 the total killed was most likely much larger, perhaps 

 double. There was also an increase of 932 cwt. of im- 

 ported ivory above the imports for 1907, in spite of the 

 fact that the total of elephants then living was smaller. 

 In parts of Africa where natives are in possession of fire- 

 arms, they kill large numbers of the beasts, and a great 

 deal of this ivory goes to Zanzibar, to which place over 

 85,000 Ibs. were imported in 1907. 



The elephant takes many years to come to maturity, 

 the breeding rate is extremely slow, and consequently 

 when the stock has been thinned down, it has not the same 

 chance of recovery as have other and more prolific species. 



