Evening star., 1935-09-21
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

More than half million square miles
of the dark continent is being set aside
exclusively for animals.
The gorillaS, the chimpanzees, the ele-
plants, the zebras and the rhinoceri-
long in grave danger of extinction from
the guns of hunters and the invasion of
pillow into their ancient forests-now have
their own kingdoms in which man can
set foot only by permission, according
to the report of the American Committee
for International Wild Life Protection
just made to the American Society of
MammalogiSts.
The new King of Belgium has taken
the lead in this activity. Twenty years
ago his father established in the noun
famous region of the Belgian Congo the
so-called kingdom of the gorillas
area of approximately $4,000 square miles.
1t was the home of the mountain 60
rillas, perhaps the nearest human of all
the lower animals. Eagerly sought by
sportsmen and by collectors for ZOOS, it
was obvious that these strangely manlike
creatures could survive only few years
unless they were given rigid protection.
The answer was the establishment of the
Pare National Albert. Hunters were pro-
hibited. Travellers we're allowed in the
area only with permits which were given
after careful consideration. There were
few natives within the borders.
Now, the committee reports, another
175000 square miles has been set aside
for the protection of other animals. The
greater part of it is the so-called Lualaba
Preserve between the Lualaba and the
Lufira Rivers. This has an area of
125, 900 square miles-more than twice the
size of the gorilla preserve. The gov
ernment has also established a national
park covering $4,000 square miles, the
Kagara National Park, in part of the
inundated territory taken over from
Germany. Under the new Kings direc-
tion plans are under way to set aside
another large area on the border Of the
British territory of Uganda which will
include some high mountain territory
almost on the Equator and the famous
Semliki forest-abode of the pigmies, one
of the finest game regions on earth, and
long favorite resort for hunters. 1t
still is the home of great elephant herds
Eventually nearly $50 900 square miles of
the Belgian Congo, it is expected, will be
given over entirely to the native fauna
and flora.
The government, according to the re-
port, recently has organized the Institut
des Parcs National which will have COM
plete control Of all tourist travel and of
all scientific work conducted in these
areas. It is administered by commits
sion of "a members, one-third Of whom
are named directly by the King.
France also has set aside two enormous
national parks, one in the Lake Chad
and the other Oubangui forest region of
French equatorial Africa. In these re-
gions species in danger Of extinction will
be placed under rigid protection. Notably
the French government will make an
effort to save the black rhino which has
been diminishing rapidly in numbers and
has been a favorite victim of sportsmen.
Last Summer DR.. Thomas Barbour of
Harvard University, a member of the
American committee, made tour
through South Africa gathering first
hand information on the game situation
there. He spent week in the great
Kruger National Park and urged its
enlargement to provide grazing grounds
for the great herds of antelope and
other herbivorous creatures which abound
there. The South African Parliament
has Just passed an act authorizing the