Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-27
ANNALS ron RIM PLAINS.


MAJOR Frederick Russell Burnham'
nh American who has won distinction
as a scout with ihe British arIny IA
south Africa, discusses IN a recent
number Of the Independent the in
fsrcafing possibilities Of transpianting
African animals to the desert areas
~ the western ami southwestern
United states.
"Thore Is In Africa i wonderfully
yssicd range OF animals, says Major
Burnhani. Most 81 the desirable
onca could easily ne introduced into
oar own southwest They would null
tlpIy where our own domestic animals
cannot live, VAST tracts of our lonely
deserts could be tecming with life,
interesting, beautiful, harmless. very
useful for food and leather, dispIac-
inn not d head Of our domestic stock,
nNsrlng a grand hunting ground, q
true pleasure land 10 all lovers Of
animal life. We have an immense
area. fully 1900 miles long and loco
miles wide, that would hold cnuntless
thousands Of wild game 70 add
greatly TO our national wealth and
furnish a reserve food supply"
Few people living In the east nave
IN adequate idea 81 the extent and
distribution &C orr deserts. Much of
eastern Colorado IS alkalt plains.
Great portions of tftah. Nevada and
southern California are sage brush
wnsles. Sections OF Sew Mexico and
ARIZONA are deserts given over %
cactus. mesquite. n ether vegetable
llfc that thrlyea IN watsrless sand, All
this desert territory u now yiliuless
for either agricultural 81 erazing
purposes.
Major Hurnham says ttat in this
arid region zach game animals az
the hushbnek. roibuck. dulker, giraffe
and Gland would flourish. Most OF
thcse animals are antelopes and are
distant relatives or the American
pronghor4. Their flesh Is as palat-
able AZ sruisnn and thcir hides make
fine leather. All of them, Major
Burnham points out, are adopted TO
Athtil ltAtIAlr AUl ftH AiN wv 49,
desert vegetation hundreds Of miles
from water.
Tho gtrane and inc eland, he
thinks, would prove especially valna-
blr in the southwest, 10th are rows
ing animals which live chiefly on
thorny scrub and would grow rat on
American mesquite. Tie aesli OF
both n something IKE beef. and tic
rland weighs from 500 - 1900
pounds, which Is bout the weight 81
range steers,
Americans Interested IN the stock
ing Of the southwestern deserts may
rocnll tho failure OF an experiment
With u.,incls ia Arizona forty or fifty
years ago aud look with misgivings
upon tbs transplantiug Of African
animals. Major Rurnhom ssys it was
40 the iauit "a tho camel Tint IL
quickly became exliue. on American
aoll
"Camels, valuable For flesh, milk
and hair he says, grew wild IN
Arizona from "a government herd un-
IN an enterpfislue Yankee rounded
pp every female. old and Young, ship
ped them east and sold them 20 q oir-
Gus. Othcrwisc we should have had
good sized herds long ago aud madc
use Of them ass the Australians have.
~ We were equuilS cnterprising
Ia Africa the game herds are
preyed upon by lions leopnrds,
hyenas, wilt dogs, ci,eu,hs. c%rocodlles
- thona and eesles act millions
survive and endure further th,
nroushts aud harashins oi ms
,iezeu
"Nhy,' asks Mlior Huynham
should these hardy same animals not
tnrise and multiply in d conntrS cv.
einut from those perils. with ID Eli.
male corresponding exactly lp rang,
50 tna of their native land1
The onls condition iu prevent th,
Nanspisnting 81 Aificsn unimal'
nom being 81 success Dag Thinks
might be- pa, de-iruciissnoss of th,
Anier.ean aa hunter This obstacle
however might hc overcome b} mN.
Tor tbe protection vt thr auimals
GENERA RioRC NNIZA11ON