Water requirements 
Normally cattle in East and Central Africa are watered daily, although 
during drought periods they may be watered only once every 3 days. They 
rarely are grazed more than 3 to 5 miles from water. Although water in 
forage satisfies some of the body water requirements, all domestic live¬ 
stock require additional water at more or less regular intervals. Con¬ 
sequently large areas of potential grazing land are denied domestic live¬ 
stock during the dry seasons due to lack of sufficient water. 
The water requirements of the wild animals vary greatly. Some animals 
such as the wildebeests and zebras (Equus burchelli ) normally drink each 
day or two. Others such as the Grant's gazelle and oryx (Oryx gazella ) 
live for months in areas where no surface water is available. Most of 
the wild ungulates will drink frequently where water is available, but 
they are able to go waterless for some days and travel long distances to 
find water if necessary with no apparent adverse effect on maintenance 
of life or growth rate. A large and vigorous wild ungulate population, 
therefore, can be supported yearlong on a range where short water supply 
renders only a limited population of domestic livestock possible. 
THE HARVEST 
From the foregoing discussion it is clear that from a biological 
standpoint it would be possible to obtain a higher sustained yield of 
meat products from wild ungulates than from domestic livestock on the 
marginal lands involved. There are three questions that arise then: 
(1) Are the meat and other animal products satisfactory and desirable 
for human use? (2) Is it possible and economical to harvest wild 
animals? (3) Why have not wild animals been exploited as a meat re¬ 
source previously? These questions are considered below. 
Animal Products 
Meat 
Although there are local preferences and taboos, the meat of all 
species of wild ungulates is eaten readily by various tribes of Africans 
in East and Central Africa. Game meat has provided a staple source of 
protein for many Europeans sjnd Africans in the area. Shade dried "bil¬ 
tong" is currently selling in cities in Central and South Africa at the 
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