The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-05
j. s. TAKES STEPS To
PROTECT ANTELOPE
Colony Of Prong Horned Variety
Placed in Wichita National
Game Refuge
WILL PREVENT EXTINCTION
Animals Taken From Yellowstone
Park at Cost of Boone and
Crockett Club.
BY Leased Wire to The Tribune.

WASHINGTON, Feb 4.-Game War
den Rush of the Wichita game refuge
in the state Of Oklahoma has informed
the department OF agriculture of the re-
ceipt IN good condition Of eight head
of antelope which came from the ma
tIonal herd in the Yellowstone park.
Through the generosity of members of
the Boone and Crockett club of New
York, funds were furnished for captur-
ing and transporting these animals
from Wyoming TO Oklahoma.
The prong horned antelope. is unlike
any other antelope on the face of the
earth, and has so many peculiarities
that natauralists class it In family
by itself. Formerly existing by thou
has now been so reduced in numbers
that It's absolute extinction is certain
IN the very near future unless protec-
tlon is given to the few remaining. 1t
does not do we'll east of the Mississippi
river, and cannot be successfully bred
IN captivity, but it thrives if allowed
to roam practically free within large
Enclosures and under conditions closely
approaching the natural ones.
In 1908 the biological survey esti-
mated that the total number of ante
lope in the United States had been re-
duced to 1900. OF these about TO-,
600 were in Montana, Wyoming and
the Yellowstone National park, and the
remaining 1000 were distributed in
twelve other states.
Two National Game Refugees.
On the Wichita game refuge it is
hoped that the antelope viii End them
selves in surroundings suited TO their
increase. The Wichita is really a ma
tional forest, and Game Warden Rush
acts as its supervisor and attends to
all the business involved in its admin.
istration. But on the Wichita, which
was set aside by act of congress as
nataionl game refuse because of its
especial suitability TO act as breed
ing place for the wild creatures of the
plains and lower Rocky mountain re-
gions, the Importance of the game work
has overshadowed the ordinary uses OF
national forest There are over $50
national forests, but only two national
game refugees.
This does not mean that outside OF
those refugees the game on the national
forests is not protected. for the ma
tional forest officers are uniformly IN.
structed to see that the game laws OF
| the various states are observed on tFe' '
forests, in so far as they can do this
| in Justice TO their other duties. Many
of the forest officers are regularly ap-
pointed deputy state game wardens,
and it is the policy of the department
of agriculture to encourage their acting
in this capacity when they can dc. so
without prejudice to Their work as for
est officers.
Buffalo in the Park.
In the Wichita and the Grand Can
Won game refugees the government has
not left the matter of caring for game
protection wholly to the states, but has
established national reservations on
which an attempt will be made to breed
game. The Wichita is notable for the
| fact that it has a small herd of buf-
falo upon it, which the game warden
regards as the apple of his eye. They
were donated by the American Bison
society and shipped from the New York
Geological Garden in 1908. They then
numbered fifteen, and have since been
increased by the addition of ten calves;
two OF the original herd, however, died
| in the 6rst year. To the buffsloes are
now added the antelope.
The antelope were shipped from Yel,
lowstone park, and have been liberated
| in one Of the buffalo yards which had
been prepared for them. They viii be
GIVEN more and better range as soon
AZ a proper wire enclosure can be made.
Two additional head are expected to
| soI,or +ba eioht already received.