12 MK. C. W. HOBLEY OX THE 



The abolition of tlie tick is, I fear, impossible ; on a fenced 

 farm frequent dipping of the cattle apparently does greatly 

 reduce the pop»ulation of ticks within the fenced area, but of 

 course dipping is impossible with wild game. 



At any rate, the wild game is incriminated as regards the 

 spread of disease to domestic animals, and there is strong evi- 

 •dence as to its guilt, particularly as regards East Goast fever and 

 Redwater disease of cattle ; canine tick fever is another case in 

 point. 



Game Reserves. — The Game Reserves in Kenya are not 

 tenanted only by the wild game, for they are also occupied by 

 <3ertain native tribes. 



The Southern Reserve contains the Masai tribe with its huge 

 flocks and herds ; the Northern Reserve contains a sparse popu- 

 lation of tSuk and Samburu people. 



The Masai do not hunt or kill wild game to any great extent ; 

 they probably kill a few buffalo in order to get hides for their 

 shields, and they also kill a few lions. In this way they are not 

 •detrimental to the game ; their young men are useful, too, as game 

 scouts. During normal years matters adjust themselves, but in 

 periods of drought, when grazing is scarce and water scarcer still, 

 the game has to take second place to the Masai stock, and there 

 is little doubt that the game suffers. 



It is not usually so much shortage of grass as shortage of 

 water, for wild game can graze farther from water than cattle, 

 and the question of increasing the water storage of the reserves 

 should be carefully gone into, and works carried out. The Masai 

 would probably contribute to the cost, as the area has been dedi- 

 cated to their use. and they are looked upon as having the first 

 ■claim on it ; presumably if they decided to kill all the game there 

 as being detrimental to their grazing rights, it might be argued 

 that they were legally entitled to do so ; this is, however, an 

 iicademic point at present. 



The Northern Reserve is mostly arid desert, and it receives 

 little attention from any one ; it is rarely patrolled by the Game 

 Department, for a lai'ge portion of it is not too safe at present. 

 A few favoured spoLs such as Marsabit and Mt. Nyiro are the 

 haunt of elephants, buffalo, and probably kudu ; Grevy's zebra 

 is also found in this part of the Colony. 



Genekal, — The Avealth of wild game with which nature has 

 endowed East Africa should, I think, be viewed as a national trust 

 to a greater extent than it is at present. In Kenya itself efforts 

 as regards its preservation are looked upon as being reactionary, 

 a,nd the Game Department is too apt to become a cockshy for 

 the local politicians, and only tolerated because it brings in n, 

 little more revenue than is spent upon it. 



Before the war big game sportsmen spent many thousands 

 annually in the country, and afforded employment to a con- 



