62 
HAMLYN'S" MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
be taken resolve themselves, into either extermina- 
tion of the entire herd, or its reduction to such a 
number as will on the one hand be sufficient to 
ensure preservation, and on the other hand not 
too large for confinement within the Reserve. 
The committee may say at once that mere reduc- 
tion of numbers without confinement will, in its 
opinion, not be an adequate step, and that sug- 
gestions put fonvard to remove the elephants to 
some other habitat, or to some arificial place of 
confinement, or to domesticate them, appear not 
to be feasible. 
The committee is extremely averse to recom- 
mending extermination. The South African ele- 
phant, now apparently restricted to a small rem- 
nant in the Kynsna forests and to those in the 
Addo Bush, while not specifically distinct from 
the Central African elephant, does constitute a 
distinct variety, the extinction of' which would 
be a loss to the world. The deliberate extermina- 
tion of these elephants would, upon grounds of 
deeply-felt general sentiment and in the interests 
of science, be received by not only very high and 
influential circles in South Africa, but by the 
general feeling of the civilised world with con- 
demnation as a step reflecting no credit upon 
South Africa. 
There remains, therefore, the question of re- 
duction and confinement. The committee has not 
succeeded in obtaining data — indeed, there do not 
appear to be adequate data available — as to. the 
actual number of the present herd, as to the num- 
ber sufficient for propagation and preservation, 
or as to the number that could be confined to the 
Reserve without the expense of artificial feeding. 
The existing number has never been reliably 
counted. There are more or less vague estimates 
and guesses. Putting such information together 
as it could obtain, the committee hesitatingly ven- 
tures its own guess, that the minimum number 
may not be much below 100, nor the maximum 
much above 150. Until the actual number is defin- 
itely ascertained, it is, of course, impossible to 
determine how many animals could be destroyed 
to leave a safe remainder. 
If the above-mentioned uncertainties could be 
cleared up there would remain the question of the 
means to be adopted for effectually confining the 
residue of the herd, of such size as may be deter- 
mined upon, to the Reserve. The first problem 
is the enclosure. For this purpose either an enor- 
mously strong fence or else a deep trench has been 
suggested. The committee has not been able to 
obtain a definite estimate of the probable cost of 
either. The cost would be very considerable — ? 
one guess places it at £20,000. The distance to 
be enclosed is approximately thirteen miles. 
The construction of the enclosure would not, 
however, dispose of the requirements. In the 
absence of ail certainty upon the point the Com- 
mittee will assume that the natural food of the 
Reserve (which is some 3,000 morgen in extent), 
would be adequate to maintain a sufficient number 
of elephants for preservation without artificial 
feeding. But the natural water supply is totally 
inadequate — which indeed appears to be a main 
cause of the elephants' present roaming proclivi- 
ties. There are no natural sheets of water such 
as the elephant loves, the occasional pools col- 
lected from rain water, and even the drinking sup- 
plies dry up after a short interval of cessation of 
rainfall. 
Therefore, for whatever small remnant of the 
herd was kept in the Reserve it would be necessary 
to make artificial provision for water. It is not 
certain whether suitable underground supplies 
are available. The indications point both ways, 
but the preponderating expert opinion, which ap- 
pears to be that of the Director of Irrigation, 
seems to be that the underground water, if found, 
would be salt and useless. We shall, therefore, 
possibly or probably be reduced to the construc- 
tion of works for surface storage; and in view of 
the irregularity and paucity of the rainfall, the 
works necessary to ensure a sufficient supply to 
carry over the longest drought would cost a con- 
siderable amount. 
These difficulties appear to the committee to 
be so serious that it could not reasonably be ex- 
pected that the Provincial resources should be 
called upon to surmount them unaided. If, as the 
committee believes, the preservation of the ani- 
mals is a national matter, the Union Government 
should be invited to undertake the task. If it 
should not see its way to do so, the committee 
can only express its conviction, which it does with 
the utmost extreme regret, that there is no alter- 
native but extermination. 
If, as a last resource, extermination be de- 
cided upon, or in the alternative a material reduc- 
tion of numbers, the means of killing the animals 
will have to be considered. Even with a number 
of experienced big game hunters the difficulties 
will be very considerable; and the committee cer- 
tainly does not recommend that the task be com- 
mitted to amateurs. If a number of elephants 
were wounded or merely stricken with panic, they 
would 'spread terror and destruction over the 
countryside. Poisoning has been suggested, but 
the committee contents itself with merely noting 
the suggestion. Its adoption would probably be 
received with a howl of indignation from the 
sporting and scientific world. 
In conclusion, the committee would empha- 
sise that this report cannot profess to. be anything 
more than merelv tentative. The dilemma with 
