THE WILD FAUNA OF THE EMPIRE 



27 



the Reserve is covered with very dense thorn-bush and there is 

 » Marti of country in any way open, except in the extreme west, 

 '""i a small strip m the east under the Lebombo. In the former 

 country, once the habitat of numerous sable and roan antelope 

 28 game has been practically exterminated by Boers and by 



,wi 7 WlH n ° W take the various species of game in succession 

 Elephants existed in fairly large numbers up to forty years 



ago in the Sabi bush, but as there are no herds in any way 



adjacent I see no prospect of their returning to the Sabi 



Game Beserve. 

 'Rhinoceros (Black) once existed in largo numbers all over 



the Beserve, now reduced to a solitary male specimen who 



frequents the thick bush along the Sabi. I see no chance 



at present of re-stocking. 

 ' Rhinoceros (White) have long been exterminated. 

 ' Hippopotamus. There is a herd of five at Komati Poort 



near junction of Komati and Crocodile Biver ; a calf was 



born lately. 



'Another herd of four and a young one frequents the 

 Crocodile Biver m the neighbourhood of Kaapmuiden. On 

 the Sabi there are perhaps five at most to be found, so 

 far as the Game Beserve extends, but they travel down the 

 river in the dry season and are seldom seen on Transvaal 

 side of the border. 



'This animal breeds and increases very slowly, but only 



( one has been shot, so far as I know, in the last three years 

 Cnraffe were once very numerous in the Game Beserve, 

 and their bones may be seen almost anywhere in the bush.' 

 The number is now reduced to about four or five. Some 

 say seven, but I have never seen the spoor of more than 

 four together, and have only once seen a single giraffe ; 

 there is no reason why they should not increase, but it will 

 take a very long time. Reasonably I believe there are not 

 more than five at present. 



' Buffalo. There is a herd of eight which frequents the 

 thick bush between the Sabi River and Gomondwane (which 

 hos ten miles north of the Crocodile). The herd seldom 

 ventures out of this bush, and the animals are extremely 

 wary and shy. I believe none have been shot for some 

 years. 



_ ' Like all other large game they take a long time to 

 increase, especially as the calves often fall victims to lions, 

 but given time and no epidemics these will, without doubt' 

 be a line herd in the future. 



' The Eland, once numerous in the West, was exterminated 

 many years ago by the Trek Boers. 



' The Sable Antelope has also suffered much. There are still 

 a few left, principally in the South-West of the Game 

 Beserve near the Crocodile. There are probably not more 



