The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-06
SANCTUARY FOR ELEPHANTS.
somaliland Would Make Good One if Set
Apart at Once.

A correspondent of the London Times
writes to that paper urging the need OF
immediate action. if tho African elephant
is to be saved from speedy extinction.
desire to call attention." he says, to the
opportunity which our protectorate over
Somaliland gives us for constituting a
portionIof that country o sanctuary for
the remaining herds of those animals-an
opportunity so favorable in all respects
That it seems only necessary to state the
case to insure the adoption of this
measure
OF late years Somaliland has been
traversed by numerous parties of sports
men, and the herds of elephants which a
| few years ago inhabited the mountain
range behind Berbera have been driven
out. This took place in the belt of ooun-
| try. the hunting in which is now re-
served for the use OF officers of the Alden
garrison. These herds, or the remnants
of them, have takon refuge more than q
hundred miles further to the west, in the
country OF tho Gadabursi to the sou th of
| Zoila.
''This large tract has been recently
added to the Alden reserve, which there
fore now again contains elephants. My
suggestion is that the shooting of ele-
plants should be prohibited within the
whole of the reserve. Great advantages
are granted to. the officers Of the Alden
garrison, which I should bs the last to
grudge them, and it Is small concession
| to ask them to make in return that,
within certain specified limits hey
should abstain altogether from killing
elephants. do not for % moment be-
lieve that these gentlemen, who are good
sportsmen, would oppose this measure.
Even if the privilege were nominally re-
| tanned for them, 1t would not be of long
duration The experience of the past
| would be repeated. 1t is not that the
animals are externinated; the essential
fact to be remembered is that single
shot fired at one member of tho herd is
enough to take a whole band abandon
that part of the county.
| This belt Of country is particularly
favorable for the constitution of such a
sanctuary. 1t is comparatively near
constant observation. / saw tracks of
elephants on the fifteenth day from lenv-
ing London. The close supervision by
the Assistant Residents, who are able
and experienced adMinistrators, stationed
on the coast, would be compare lively
easy, owing 10 the fact that numerous
parties of sportsmen traverse the region
in question every year. and would, of
course, report. They are also kept in
formed by native caravans, who visit
| the coast for purposes of trade, and who,
owing to the wise aud just treatment
which thcy have received, are our fast
| friend. The Somalis are unarmed, ex-
cept with spears, and therefore have not
the power, even if they had the Will, to
go behind the restriction. They decline
to cat the flesh of elephants: therefore an
elephant killed is ton of meat wasted,
which is thing abhorrent to us all.
| The region in question, which is mum
famous. with fairly abundant forests aud
river beds bordered with dense Jungle
is peculiarly attractive to elephants.
Let me deal with possible objections.
| have heard it urged thas tho officers Mt
Alden would make so little use of the
right that there is no purpose in restrict
| ing them. do not think they would
make this claim fer themselves On the
contrary, have reason to expect the
| heartiest cooperation from the authori-
ties at Alden. 1t is obvious that q sane
tuary in which the favored few are al
lowed to go on killing elephants is no
sanctuary at all. 1t has been said that
restriction for this area would be useless,
as the Abyssinians, who have guns, raid
it in search of ivory; but to this | reply
first that such raids should be pre-
vented, and, secondly, il the elephants
were thus harassed, they would find a
refuge i'm the eastern part of the reserve,
which they frequented less than ten
years ago, and which is out OF reach OF
| tho Abyssinian frontier.
A memorandum embodying these con-
siderations has been forwarded to the
India office. 1t has. believe. been fav-
orably entertained by the Secretary of
State, aud forwarded to the government
of Bombay, under whose political super
vision Somaliland lies. My purpose in
writing to you is tc invite an expression
Of opinion from naturalists, sportsnen,
and, not least, from those interested in
the future of Africa. The question Of
once more utilizing the African ele-
plant as was certainly done in Ptolemaic
times, may be one for subsequent consid-
Grafton. The preservation of the trace
from extn ction IS urgent. Two or three
years henc it may be too late so far as
Somalil and is concerned"