VANISHING SOUTH AFRICAN GAME 

 AND ITS NEED FOR PROTECTION 



By A. K. Haagner, Sc.D., F. Z. S., Etc. 



Director, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria; 

 President, Transvaal Game Protection Association. 



WHEN in New York, in 1920, I was requested to write 

 a short sketch of the more interesting and scarcer 

 forms of game animals found in South Africa, with par- 

 ticular reference to their status at the present time. I do 

 this with all the more pleasure seeing that the request 

 has come from a man who has courageously and con- 

 sistently fought for the preservation of game animals on 

 sane and common-sense lines. 



In South Africa our difficulties appear to be worse 

 than those obtaining in the United States. They have at 

 times appeared to me to be so insurmountable that I have 

 often thought seriously of "throwing up the sponge" and 

 acknowledging myself beaten, but my American friends 

 have been so emphatic in their encouragement that I have 

 been led to continue my efforts. There is, however, one 

 big and fundamental difference between the two coun- 

 tries. America seems to get money together for any seri- 

 ous project in hand, whereas we in South Africa have to 

 go down on bended knees to raise a few pounds for any 

 scientific or non-utilitarian matter. 



The Transvaal Game Protection Association is only a 

 small society boasting but few members, and its funds are 

 very meagre, but the Central Executive Committee con- 

 tains, nevertheless, some very enthusiastic gentlemen who 

 devote much of their spare time to the work of the Asso- 

 ciation. Amongst these may be mentioned the hard- 

 working Secretary, Major J. C. V. Roos, and Lieut. 

 Colonel H. Bredell, Deputy Commissioner and Secretary 



