CO885-(21-23) — Page 550

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

MC.O. 885

22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- ` COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TQ.

Short Title.

Interpre-

tation.

Amend.

ment of

Schedule 3.

4

80

induced me to support the amendment, and which, in my opinion, adequately answers any objections which may be raised against its retention. No such objections have, however, so far as I am aware, been put forward by any person in this Protectorate.

4. In the days when lions were accounted for by legitimate methods only, and settlers and sportsmen were content to trust to the rifle alone as a means of attack, there was no necessity for any degree of protection, but the question assumed a different aspect when Mr. Paul Rainey commenced hunting them with a trained pack of hounds, which resulted in an immense increase in the number of lions killed, and set an example which, if generally followed, would result in the extinction of the species in the areas in which it is followed.

5. The number of lions now allowed to the licence-holder is, as the Game Warden points out, sufficient to satisfy the ambitions of every true sportsman, but the inclusion of the species in the Schedule has a more far-reaching effect than mere limitation of number. It brings the lion under the definition of game, and so under the protection of Section 35, which prohibits its being hunted with dogs, except on private land.

6. The principal effect of the amendment, therefore, is to prohibit the use of hunting dogs on all Crown lands situated outside the limits now imposed by the Ordinance, while leaving to the owners of private lands liberty to destroy the animals which frequent their holdings in any way they please an arrangement which cannot, in my view, give cause of complaint to any but those whose methods we desire to discourage.

7. The protection accorded by the amendment was extended to the cheetah by special request of the Game Warden, for the reasons cited in his Memorandum. I accepted his suggestion because the destructive propensities of this animal are not such as to warrant its being classed as vermin.

8. Should it be the case that the explanation given in this despatch, and the reasons adduced in the Game Warden's memorandum, are considered insufficient to satisfy you of the propriety of the amending Ordinance, I would request that action be suspended until the arrival of that officer in England next month, and that he be then heard by yourself in support of a measure which I am earnestly desirous to retain.

I have, &c.,

H. CONWAY BELFIELD,

Enclosure in No. 47.

MEMORANDUM.

Governor.

With reference to the proposed amendment to the Game Ordinance in order to give some measure of protection to lions in certain districts of the East Africa Protectorate.

Lions have always been considered vermin, and the very idea of protecting them appears monstrous, However, even the most rabid opponents change their views and become supporters of the scheme as soon as they clearly understand what the proposal is. For this reason I am particularly anxious that the members of the Legislative Council should thoroughly and clearly understand what is proposed before giving an opinion.

1.

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE GAME ORDINANCE, 1909.

The Game Amendment Ordinance, 1913," This Ordinance may be cited as and shall be read as one with the Game Ordinance, 1909, hereinafter referred to as the Principal Ordinance.

2. In this Ordinance the term "lion " shall mean a male or female lion, and shall include the young of lion.

3. The Third Schedule to the Principal Ordinance shall be and is hereby amended by the addition thereto of the words and figures following :—

Kind.

49.

Lion

50.

Cheetah

Number allowed.

4

2

81

No poison. trap, or wet- gun to be

4.

Save as hereinafter provided, no person shall use any poison, trap, or set- used for the gun for the purposes of killing or capturing lion or cheetah.

killing or capturing of lion or cheetah.

5. Nothing in this Ordinance or in the Principal Ordinance contained shall be Saving deemed to prohibit the hunting, killing, or capturing by any means whatsoever and a to the without a licence under the Principal Ordinance of lion or cheetah.

(a) On private land.

(b) On land, not being land within a Game Reserve, within twenty miles of any private land (other than private land situate within a native reserve).

(c) On land, not being land within a Game Reserve, within five miles of any private land situate within a native reserve, or within five miles of any railway.

In actual practice this means that in the outlying unoccupied districts which constitute the shooting grounds lions will be protected from complete extermination, while the lions on the farms or within twenty miles of any farm or private land or within five miles of the railway line can be shot, poisoned, trapped or hunted with hounds without any licence or limit as at present.

This has a double advantage, for not only are the lions, which are a valuable asset in the shooting grounds, saved from extermination, but at the same time sports- men who wish to kill large numbers of lions with hounds or in any other way are confined to the farms and private land and neighbouring districts which are the very places where it is almost universally desired to get rid of all lions.

The lion, although not upon the Scheduled Game List is, in my opinion, the finest and most valuable game animal in Africa, just as the tiger is considered the finest game in India.

I consider that it would be a great calamity if the lions in the shooting grounds of this Protectorate were exterminated, and there are a great many residents in the country who agree with me, and I am confident that if all the land owners in this Protectorate were invited to express an opinion on the present question it would be found that an overwhelming majority would support the measure on some such lines as I have suggested. This may be inferred from the universal dissatisfaction which has been expressed by residents at the large bags obtained by Mr. P. J. Rainey.

During the two years 1910-11 and 1911-12, nine hundred and fourteen lions were killed in the East Africa Protectorate, and this total only represents those of which I was able to obtain a record, and there is no doubt that many more were shot and poisoned by farmers and natives of which no record was obtained.

During the last twelve months, excluding Mr. Paul J. Rainey's expeditions, in which he killed 80 odd lions, bags of 17, 15, and 13 were made by some shooting parties, and in the present year bags of 12 and 9 have already been made, and I have received a report of 22 having been killed on the Northern Guaso Nyiro. There is no doubt whatever that lions form the greatest attraction for sportsmen who visit the Protectorate, and it must be apparent that, if the present unrestricted slaying of lions is allowed to continue, a state of affairs will be reached at no very distant date when lions will have become so rare in all but the most inaccessible parts of the country and the game reserves that only very few sportsmen will be lucky enough to bag one.

Under such conditions there is little doubt that the revenue derived from game licences, which varies round about a figure of £10,000 annually, may be expected to be reduced to little more than half this amount.

A sum of £10,000 is, of course, not of serious consideration to the country, but it is nevertheless acceptable addition to the revenues, more particularly in view of the fact that this sum is derived from the unoccupied areas, most of which are so unsuitable for settlement that it is unlikely any other revenue will ever be obtained from them. Besides this financial plea for some protection for lions there is the still more legitimate one of the sportsman and naturalist.

I am of opinion, therefore, that it is entirely justifiable and sound policy to strictly preserve the game in these unoccupied areas, and it is not even open to question that lions are valuable game animals, I have discussed the subject with numerous settlers, sportsmen, and Government officials, and I have not yet heard one really substantial objection put forward against the proposal, and opponents have usually become supporters as soon as they clearly understand what the proposition is,

93489

F

killing of lion on private

land,