WILDLIFE OF THE DRAKENSBERG - THE STORY OF THE ELAND

 “THEY SHALL DWELL SAFELY IN

THE WILDERNESS AND SLEEP

IN THE WOODS,

AND NONE SHALL MAKE

THEM AFRAID”

BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL

WILDLIFE OF THE DRAKENSBERG

THE STORY OF THE ELAND

Eland, Lotheni Reserve

   There are literally hundreds of species of wild flowers, trees and ferns in the Drakensberg. The birdlife is fantastic and on these rolling hills roam eland, Oribi, mountain reedbuck and grey rhebok, and on the high ledges of the mountains the shy little klipspringer browses.

   When the Giant’s Castle Reserve was first proclaimed in 1903, its main objective was to provide a sanctuary for the fast disappearing eland, one of the noblest, and certainly the largest, of South Africa’s antelopes. At one time it was the commonest antelope in the Drakensberg. We know this from accounts of early hunters and also from the Bushman paintings that adorn the cave walls in the sandstone cliffs of the Little Berg, where the eland is the commonest animal depicted. But by the turn of the century the herds that roamed these mountain solitudes in peace and security were gone and the numbers were down to a meager 200 individuals. It was considered that in 1900 there were only 20 left in the area of the present reserve.

Baboon foraging

   The eland, Taurotragus oryx, (the Zulu name is Impofu), is 150 cm to 180 cm in height, about the size of a large ox, and a weight in the Drakensberg of up to 452 kg. This is considerably less than the weight - up to 820 kg – of eland found in other parts of Africa. He is buff colored, turning to grey as he grows older. He has a very distinct black vertical stripe from his horns to the root of his tail, and long, hanging dewlaps. Both sexes have fairly long, spiraled horns. The eland is both a grazer and a browser, and is particular to Buddleia salvifolia and Halleria lucida. In his wild state he is nervous and wary. If a herd of eland spots you – they have excellent eyesight – they will stand still for a few moments and then make off at a brisk trot, either up a slope or round the shoulder of a hill, seldom downhill. Their call is a low, barking note. Although a large animal, the eland is not aggressive. In spite of their great size they are excellent jumpers, and will easily clear a two-meter fence.

Eland herd at Lotheni Reserve

   The Drakensberg eland are of especial importance, because they are directly descended from the original eland of that particular district. In the Sudan there is a giant species Taurotragus derbianus gigas, which can weigh up to 1000 kg.

   Today, in Kzn, they occur from Giant’s Castle south to Cobham. Under former natural conditions it is almost certain that they used to winter in the Thornveld, spending only their summer in the Drakensberg, but owning to increased hunting and the opening up of the Midlands of Natal to early settlers, they sought permanent refuge in the Drakensberg.

Lotheni Reserve

   They are, however, great wanderers, and the Natal Parks Board at one stage erected a strong 220 cm 10-strand eland fence around the Reserve. With their great jumping ability it did little to restrict the movement of the eland, however, and when the fence fell into disrepair it was not replaced.

   In 1958 two eland were killed in the Upper uThukela Location, between Cathedral Peak and the Royal Natal National Park. They were probably following their old instinct of migrating to the Thornveld. The concentration of eland in the Drakensberg throughout the year does not cause problems of overstocking or overgrazing because of the high calf mortality. This is as high as 60 percent, and is due to the poor nutrition of young animals in the harsh mountain environment.

  The eland is generally a docile animal. Even bulls in captivity rarely become vicious, although one should remain cautious and vigilant near any ”wild” animal.

Eland Family with calf - Lotheni

   Eland meat is tender and most palatable. As far back as 1848 it was proposed that the eland should be domesticated.

   Actually there have been several attempts at domesticating the eland. A notable one was made at Askanya Nova, in southern Russia, in 1895, where a good deal of useful information was collected. In 1954 a small herd was established at Zezani, in the heart of Zimbabwe Mopane country. It was soon found that the eland would flourish in an area quite unsuitable to cattle, and the opinion was formed that eland meat was equal, if not superior, to beef.

   Here in the Drakensberg the first attempts to domesticate the eland were made as far back as 1907. A number of calves were caught and sent to Cedera. Nothing came from this attempt, but a year or so later calves were supplied to several farmers in the Natal Midlands, notably to Andrew Sclanders and the Moe brothers at New Hanover. The Moe’s were the most successful in achieving results, and one of the brothers actually rode an eland round the show ring at an agricultural show! 

Thendele – Royal Natal National Park

   A most ambitious experiment was carried out by the Natal Parks Board at Lotheni, on the southern slopes of Giant’s Castle. Here an eland domestication unit was established some years ago and the eland was studied. The herd reached about 40 head, and valuable information was obtained concerning the growth and handling of the domesticated animal.

   It has already been proved that the eland can be domesticated, that the meat is excellent, and that eland farming can be carried on successfully in areas to dry for conventional cattle farming. The Russian experiment showed that small, selected herds soon deteriorated through inbreeding, and the present small numbers of eland preclude the possibility of larger domesticated herds. However, the eland has not caught the attention of the rancher, who still finds it easier to raise cattle.

   Today, in the Giant’s Castle Game Reserve, and in the area south of Giant’s Castle, the eland is flourishing. From being on the danger list, numbers have now increased to a figure which makes the future of the eland assured. (Poaching however, have increased, and due to the vastness of the area and lack of rangers, goes on unabated and without fear of prosecution – Willem Pelser.)

Mid-winter, Lotheni Reserve

   There is no doubt that KZN Wildlife, has done magnificent work, not only in the establishment and running of its game reserves (there are more than 40 game and nature reserves in KZN) but in control of wildlife generally, and in restocking the reserves with species that had died out.

   But there are significant dangers ahead. There are some who hold that prior to the European settlement of the country, the game was largely migratory in character. Animals rarely wintered in the Drakensberg, preferring the sweeter grass and warmer valleys of the Thornveld. The inferior size of the Drakensberg eland underlines this. Today, with our fences, our railroads and highways, our ploughed lands, our developing towns and cities, migration is impossible, and the game is confined to one area all the year round. This leads to damage through overgrazing. Once man interferes in any way whatever with the delicate balance of nature, the result is dangerous. Chain reactions set in, with incalculable results. Damage due to overgrazing could lead inevitably to eventual paddocking and artificial feeding, and the game reserve would be reduced in status to that of a glorified zoo. If this happens it will have been I direct consequence of the tourist’s desire to see game, for the species being introduced are in little danger of dying out. In other words, it is apparently the profit motive which is dominant, and the results would be that fauna would be protected at the expense of flora.

Lotheni Reserve

   This clash of interest between the demands of the tourist industry and the demands of the nature conservationists is ever- present one. When our game reserves were first proclaimed they were designed purely for the protection and conservation of game. It was only later that tourists started clamoring to see game. In America this tendency has reached alarming proportions. The Yosemite National Park in California is visited by thousands of tourists a day, whose noise practically drowns out even the thunder of the Yosemite Falls! The Kruger National Park, with its huge camps, its stores and restaurants, its tarred roads and its filling stations, is in danger of going the same way. So far, in KwaZulu-Natal this pressure has been largely resisted. There should be no roads in the reserves, apart from the access road. There has been some moderate expansion and modernization of hutted camp facilities but it has generally been sympathetic to the environment. Man should be prepared to go out on the two legs God gave him, carrying his food on his back, and glad to make the effort needed to enjoy what nature has to offer.

   Should we make a distinction between reserves and recreational areas? Nature Reserves, certainly, should be primarily for wildlife and environmental conservation. They can be used for outdoor recreation within reason, but they should be kept primarily for the genuine lover of nature. Fortunately, the Parks authority makes this distinction, but our Drakensberg hotel resorts are losing their original purpose. These resorts have been invaded by a motley crowd who wanted little more than their bowls, their tennis and their golf, their cards and their sundowners. They rarely lift their eyes to the mountains, they rarely venture into them, and never once do they feel their hearts stir with wonder and delight at the wilderness around them. Tennis and bowls and golf are first class and worthwhile recreations, but our Drakensberg hotels, originally at least, were designed mainly for lovers of nature, hikers and mountaineers.

Herd at Lotheni Reserve

   In his annual report for 1967/1968 Dr. D. Hey, former director of Nature Conservation for the Cape, said: ‘It is most important to reduce the public pressure on nature reserves and national parks by providing recreational facilities elsewhere for those who are not particularly interested in wildlife, but merely wish to relax out-of-doors. It is quite possible for a nature reserve to be destroyed by an excessive number of visitors.” He could not have put it more clearly. Let us at least keep our Drakensberg Reserves inviolable from this sort of thing.

   Man has got to do a lot of rethinking if he is to survive. In the past he has adopted the arrogant assumption that he is apart from the animal kingdom, sole owner of the world in which he lives, that he is Lord of Creation and can do what he likes with his environment. Since 1600 the world has lost 101 species of birds and 46 mammalian species, 44 of the former and 27 of the latter within the last 50 years. And year after year he spews out, at an increasing rate, his polluting gases into the atmosphere and his filth into the oceans.

Antelope at Thendele, Royal Natal National Park

   Man is not a distinct entity. He is and inseparable part of the whole of nature, and you, and I, and all the creatures of the wild, are fellow travelers, with a common goal, a common destiny, and a common fate on a small and very vulnerable planet travelling through the depths of space.

We as
hikers, explorers, and adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and
protect our Wildernesses. Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!

 

 

The End.

 

Safe Hiking.