LIONS AND TOURISTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18547, 6 November 1934, Page 7

LIONS AND TOURISTS

PROTECTION FOR BEASTS SOUTH AFRICAN PROPOSAL CAPETOWN, Oct. l. A flying squad for the Kruger National Park is proposed, not to protect the tourists from the lions, but to protect the lions from the tourists! One of the motions that camo before the National Publicity Conference was “that with a view to checking abusc'3 of privilege and a stricter observance of the regulations, this conference recommends to the consideration of the Kruger National Park Board of Trustees the institution of a system of motor patrols in the park.” According to Mr. 0, P. Newton, Director of Publicity in Capetown, there is a risk of the game reserve being ruined by tourists being allowed to break the regulations and frighten the animals. “The reserve is a wonderful spectacle because the animals are indifferent to motor cars,” he says. “The rule is that cars shall not leave the road nor tourists molest the animals. But motorists drive off the roads and.over the veldt, chasing the lions to get closer views of them, and even leaving their cars to sJWk the animals with the idea of getting photo- % to now the animals have not learned to associate human beings with motor cars, and so they are not afraid of motor cars. But they soon will be. Before long the animals will seek cover at the sound of an approaching cat, and there will be no spectacle to attract/ tourists. The only way to preserve the park as an attraction is to provide about £IOOO a year for motor patrols and to mete out drastic treatment to offenders.”