CO885-(21-23) — Page 519

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Reference :-

mwimm m C.O. 885

22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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It is, of course, not to be anticipated that, on the adoption of a universal mini- mum weight limit for ivory, the killing of all elephants with tusks under that weight will automatically stop. For some time, until experience has shown traders that it really is impossible to export small tusks, and that all attempts to deal in them result only in loss by confiscation, things will remain much as they are, and during this period a large amount of ivory would be confiscated. The killing of cow and immature elephants cannot be stopped altogether, and a certain amount of this wasteful destruction is bound to continue. Pitfalls and native traps will not discriminate; natives hunting in districts where control is impossible will not, when wild with excitement, spare undersized beasts that hobble with burned feet out of the blazing fire ring; nor will mounted hunters in the eagerness of the chase be over particular. The small bull will still fall to the rifle of the excitable could have sworn it was sportsman who "couldn't see its tusks when he fired," or bigger." But when four elephants with 20 lb. tusks are no longer as good as one with tusks of 80 lbs., but, on the contrary, represent no cash value at all, the regular pursuit of small elephants will languish, and an immense reduction of their wasteful slaughter will be achieved.

Regarding the second proposal

"L

That the regulations governing the killing of elephants and the trade in ivory and rhinoceros horns and rhinoceroses should be made to coincide as nearly as possible in the territories of all nations concerned.

I think this proposal involves far greater difficulties. It seems to be entirely dependent on the local abundance or scarcity of these animals, and other local con- ditions, whether (a) one, two, or no elephants should be allowed on a sportsman's or official's licence, or whether (b) natives should be allowed to kill them at all, or whether any restriction beyond the size limit should, or could, be enforced. I think each territory would have to make its own regulations on these points, and they would necessarily differ widely.

The suggested regulations are:-

1. Possession of ivory and rhinoceros horns should only be legal-

(a) under the Game Laws, ie., when obtained legally by the holder of the

necessary licence;

(b) when purchased from Government, i.e., ivory which has been confiscated by Government, and afterwards sold by auction for export bearing an indelible Government stamp.

2. It should be illegal to possess ivory under any circumstances which weighs less than 30 lbs. per tusk.

To the last clause I would add "other than confiscated ivory which has been sold by the Government and bears the Government stamp."

These regulations do not appear to allow licensed natives to kill elephants at all, even if above the size limit. In my opinion, this is much too sweeping. Cer- tainly it would be for the Sudan, where it would be impossible, at present, over large areas to license natives or to tell whether ivory brought in was killed by licensed hunters or others. The game laws of each territory should specify whether natives may or may not kill elephants without a licence, provided they are of the standard size, and the clause (a) could then read "in accordance with the Game Laws."

The present status of the elephant in the Sudan is such that it would really be unnecessary for us to fall into line with other territories which are less fortunate in this respect regarding details of licensing, limit numbers allowed to be shot, and regulations governing killing by natives.

Estimates of the numbers of elephants existing in the different African terri- tories are scarce. In 1904, Sir Alfred Sharpe obtained from the various District Collectors in British Central Africa their estimates of the probable numbers of elephants in their districts. The total amounts to 605 elephants only. In a covering letter to Sir Clement Hill, Sir Alfred wrote, “I should put the number of elephants at more like 1,500 than 600.”

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As regards the Sudan, I am convinced, after twelve years' experience, that the number of elephants at present existing in our area is immense. Personally, I feel positive that it cannot be estimated in less than five figures. I have many reasons for believing that 10,000 would be a low estimate. There may be far more. I do not believe the elephant could possibly be exterminated in the Sudan under any circumstances for a very long time, taking into consideration the vast area of almost unpopulated marsh country in which they can find refuge. The stock, generally speaking, must be decreasing, as the slaughter of them is large and grows steadily, but the apparent decrease in the last twelve years has been nothing like what I should have expected, which shows how large the stock must be. Yet the killing of them, young and old, goes on at an increasing rate, and their great numbers must, unless steps are taken in time, steadily give way under the growing persecution.

Apart from any question of sentiment, or of our moral obligation to preserve the most imposing of existing forms of animal life, and from the economic view alone, this destruction is foolishly and pitifully wasteful. I do not believe the average weight of tusks of all the elephants killed by natives in the Sudan would he more than 20 lbs., so great is the destruction of animals carrying ivory smaller than this. This means that, on the average, these great beasts are being slaughtered before they have attained more than one-third, one-fourth, or one-fifth of their potential ivory value. It is surely time to check such a waste. If only it could be made impossible to obtain any price whatever throughout the continent for tusks under 30 lbs. weight, an immense decrease, if not a complete cessation, of the killing of these immature animals would follow. In the Sudan, I believe that this alone would ensure the continuance of the species in large numbers even if the bigger tusks became very scarce. The enforcing of game laws in Africa should become easier in the future, when the country is more closely administered. It is necessary now to take measures to ensure that the existing stock of elephants is not irreparably exhausted before that time.

Our present regulations for preserving the elephant in the Sudan may be summed up as follows:-Only two may be shot by the holder of an "A" game licence. Natives are allowed to hunt them by native methods, the employment of firearms being prohibited, and licensed traders are allowed to purchase the ivory, but all tusks under 10 lbs. in weight are confiscated. And there is a sanctuary in which all killing of game is illegal. The defect of these regulations lies in the impossi- bility of enforcing them. Most of the ivory comes, naturally, from the wildest, remotest parts of the country, where it is absolutely impossible for provincial Governors, with the means at their disposal, to exercise control over native hunters. The employment of firearms cannot be stopped, and increases rapidly. weight tusks are readily disposed of, finding a way out of the country through Abyssinia and by Djibouti, and by other channels. The absence of funds to patrol the sanctuary makes it impossible to check the killing of elephants in the interior of it.

Under-

All this sounds very hopeless, but it is not really so. In parts, the armed hunters are not very numerous; some tribes dare not enter the territory of others to hunt; and there are vast marshes where it is practically impossible to follow the elephants.

If only all tusks under 30 lbs. weight could really be made absolutely worth- less to the hunters, I should not be at all pessimistic about the future of our elephant herds. It would no longer be profitable to organise the pursuit of those herds among which the big tusks were known to be scarce. I know that our limit weight of 10 lbs. is ridiculously small, but it is useless for us to raise it so long as under- weight tusks can find a ready sale and outlet which, with our great extent of frontier. we cannot possibly check, and to do so would only be to sacrifice a certain amount of revenue from royalties uselessly. It appears to me impossible to improve matters unless unanimous action among the nations concerned can be arranged.

I attach, for Your Excellency's consideration, a table which I have prepared, giving as nearly as I am able the figures for the years 1906 to 1911, representing (1) the total weight of ivory legitimately exported from the Sudan, (2) its gross value, (3) its royalty value to the Government, (4) two estimates of the number of elephants which these figures represent, and (5) the number of elephants killed by European sportsmen and officials under game licences.

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