The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-26
VANISHING AFRICAN FAUNA.
MANY SPECIES PECULIAR TO DARK
CONTINENT NEARLY EXTINCT.
Slaughter of the EIephants-The
HippOpotamus, Antelope, Gnu, Gil
rafe and Zebra Almost Gone.

OF Aht II
HippOpotamus. Antelope, Gnu, Gil
raRe and Zebra Almost Gone.
From the London Standard.
The rapid dim!nution in the number of
many kinds of big game in Africa, and the
extinction, within living memory, of some
others. are matters Of common knowledge
10 sportsmen and naturalists. That wild
animals are always driven back before
advancing civilization is a truism. The
slaughter of The African fauna, however,
has been so great and so purposeless that,
could the story Of the last hundred years
be told in an its fullness. it would appear
incredible.
Naturally, the elephant claims first place.
1t is still fairly abundant in Central Africa,
but in South America, where it formerly
swarmed, it is rapidly approaching extinc-
ton.
Oswell, the friend of Livingstone, who
first visited Africa on hunting expedition
in 1874 has told the story, all too briefly,
of his experiences, and expressed the opin-
Ion that to our great-great-gr grandchildren
the African elephant will be as abe mann
moth is to us Kirby clothes the same
opinion in almost identical language, and,
after urging that the past, which cannot
be recalled, should induce sportsmen to
shoot fairly, and be satisfied with enough,
is justly severe on those who deliberate
~ bowl over ewes and cows" with the
one idea of topping the record. The traffic
In ivory means the extinction of the ele-
phant; but to XIII an elephant for its
tusks seems the worst possible use to which
one can put such a mighty beast. Sir Sam
uel Baker pleaded for protection, and stm
more strongly that some attempt should
be made to domesticate the African ee-
plant. condemning the apathy even of Eu-
ropean settlers, who have hitherto ignored
the capabilities of this useful creature
When the late Sultan of Zanzibar visited
our geological gardens, and saw Jumbo
carrying loads of delighted children, he
asked why these animals were not utilized
in his own country. The late Mr. Bartlett
was always interested In the subject, and
advocated, as does Mr. ScIater, the secre-
tary of the Geological Society, the bring
ing over of trained Indian elephants and
natives used TO keddah work to East At
RIGA. Gordon, too, hoped to employ the ele-
plant in transport in Africa, and, shortly
before the fall of Khartoum, wrote to Mr.
6clater on the subject In Cape Colony the
elephant has been protected since 1880.
permit being necessary to kill a single spec
imen there is also measure of protection
In the East Africa protectorate, and in
German East Africa, where a permit for
two elephants and two rhinoceroses costs
rs.
Inc hlpDopotamus appears to be extinct
IN Natal, where the last specimen, a fine
old bull, now in the Durham Museum was
killed about twelve months ago, the gov
eminent having consented to the extermi-
nation of the small herd living in Sea Cow
lake, small lagoon near Durham on ac-
count of the damage they did In the sugar
cane plantations The few that still remain
In Zululand are all that are left in Brit
lSh South Africa. Rhinoceroses, too are
becoming scarce. and the white, or square
mouthed, form is practically extinct In
1886 fifteen We're killed, and in the follow
Ing year Selous saw the tracks of two or
three. Writing in 1898, that famous hunter
SAID that, twenty years before il was a
common animal over an enormous extent
OF country in Central South Africa. In the
same year Mr.. Coryndon obtained two
specimens, one of which went to the Rrit-
Ism Museum Natural History and the
other to Walter Rothschild's museum al
Tring.
There Is sad tale to tell about the ante
lopes. CORVALLIS Harris hunted in South