h oo farti kel i ed it o ri al

H
tr
OO FARTI KEL I ED IT O RI AL
THE LESSON
OF THE OUAGGA
DIE LES VAN DIE KWAGGA
"The dodo never had a chance. He seems {o have been invented for the sole purpose of becoming extinct and that was all he was
'
How to become exttnct Will Cuppy 1884-1949
good for.
t^\ OME people still don't believe the dodo actually existed,
\but it did, in Mauritius until about 1680. We in South Africa
\.-/know the quagga existeo because it was protected by a
law of the Government oi the Cape of Good Hope on 6 July 1886
(see page 135). The fact thal it became extinct 1wo years len
months and twenty-four days before the Governor of the Cape
nf Gnnri Hnnc nrrt hiq q nn:lrrrc ln lhc Game l-aw Amendment
Act, 1886, was an accident of chronology.
For the last quagga died in Amste rdam Zoo on 12 August 1 883.
It was a female and was acquired on 9 May 1867 from South Africa
(see p. 147). We have no exact knowledge of the date of extinction
^{
q:rr
tha l2ai {roa-,irr nn drit^Ar
Y,",,,". Snmp
9uqggq nn rhp Snrlth A{rie:n ' nl:ins
it was in the 1860s but Rau (see reference on p, 148) refers to the
dispatch of seve'al quaggas from Porl Elizabeth to the Antwerp Zoo
in Belgium in 1870 and Jack Skead points out that Emil Holub
claimed to lave found about 50 quaggas n the Colesberg dstr'ct
in 1R73 \vv,vJvv,
/(lnleqhern
y iq in thp Canc irrst snrrrh ni the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam on rl^e Orange River). lt does seem certain that it 'nally
disaooeared from its native land in or around 1878 and that the last
survlvors were in the Orange Free State,
Thp {alc nf
iq.nnqt2ntl\/ referred tO. N/OSt bOOkS On
(, v nrr:nn:
v, the
YueYyu
South African conservation problems mention, with a certain wry
pride, that Western civilisation in South Africa has led to the
eradication of bolh the blue antelope and tle quagga. The ouestion we have to ask ourselves is: have we learned the lesson of
the quagga? ls too little. too late' to be the ep;taph of olher
South African plant and animal species?
It is already
exclude the spectacular Iarge mammals.
- if we
Professor Anthony
Hall of the Threatened-Plants Research
Group at the University of Cape Town estimates in a paper.published in the international journal Btological Conservation (1983)
that 39 plant species endem c 1o southern Africa have recently
become exlinct. One hundred and ten plant species are conqiIorpcl ln
ho El'UAlrggr9u!
en|ennororJ
o'Usrsu
tU Us
enI tho
nf thr^^t^^^^
.'lU nrenri
JPEcllu
!vtol Ul
LitlEdlEllVU r^^
Vlo'lu lntel
cies is a disturb ng and thoughl-provoking 2 334. What pr,ce our
plant conservation legislation?
We have no idea at all of the number of inverlebrate animal extinctions in South Africa; many species have certainly been entirely
wioeo out, some before they were discovered and described by
scientists. Unrecorded, unlamented. The Cape Provincial conservat:on aulhor:ties made a brave but perhaos futile attempt 10 leg sl2lA
nrnleet,on
of 12
endanaererj
hrfiar{r\/) DpgUrgqtc fnr the
rs P'
r4 ur
^^a^,^- Ol iU UllE
UlsU,rU, I Ul
rur rVU, uu uurrur,
'vr t
moth ln 1976 They were promptly criticised by cefiain sectlons of
the entomological community for drawing attention to collectors'
..,:{;^.
lollllcJ
t-,1 -^
.-.1U r^"
dl
Ui d lI19
dl
t, a2mp lime tn rin
uJ enr/lhinn
ottltlllljV in
.v aoncor\/p
uul Jc vE
^r {hp
the habitats on whlch the buttedlies depend, (This criticism is, however, a little unlust; it is important that the Government should be
seen to be concerned with the fate of individual species, and land
or habitat acquisition is often financially impracticable.)
Nevertheless, this latter point is the key to successful nature
conservation . . . an0 the lesson of the quagga.
Not only dld the law to protect the quagga come three years too
late, it failed to recognise the real problem
that individual species
-
protection is pointless in the long term without ecosystem protection.
Which is not to say that the quagga was unimportant in itself. lt
wasn't just a pretty striped horse over which we can shed crocodile tears at conservation jamborees, or wildlife wakes. lt was an
important component of the karoo environment in the Orange
Free State and the Cape Colony and its disappearance heralded
major ecological changes to that environment.
The American ecologist Paul Ehrlich likens ecosystems to aeroplane wings. You can take out one rivet, or two, or three, but how
many can you safely take out before the wing falls off? Which are
the "key" rivets? Aeroplanes don't always fly in clear skies; can we
afford to lose even one rivet if turbulent times lie ahead?
134
AIE mense glo nog steeds nie dat die dodo werklik bestaan
in Mauritius tot omtrent 1680. Ons
het nle, maar dit het
- die
kwagga wel bestaan het omdat
in Suid-Afrika weet dat
dit op 6 Julie 1886 deur die Regering van Kaap die Goeie Hoop
beskerm is (sien bl. 135). Die feit dat dit uitgesterf het twee jaar,
tien maande en vler-en-twintig dae voor die Goewerneur van
Kaap die Goeie Hoop d\e Game Law Amendment Act van 1886
kon onderteken. was 'n chronologiese ongeluk.
Want die laaste kwagga het op 12 Augustus 1883 in die Amsterdamse Dieretuin gesterf. Dit was 'n merrie wat op 9 Mei
1867 van Suid-Afrika verkry is (sien bl. 147). Ons weet nie op
presies watter datum die laasle loslopende kwagga in Suid-
Afrika uitgesterf het nie. Sommige se dit was in die 1860's'
maar Rau (sien verwysing op bl. 148) verwys na die feit dat
verskeie kwaggas in 1870 na Antwerpen in Belgi6 se dieretuin
gestuur is en volgens Jack Skead het Emil Holub beweer dat
hy in 1873 ongeveer 50 kwaggas in die Colesberg-distrik te6gekom het (Colesberg is in die Kaap, net suid van die Hendrik
Verwoerddam op die Oranjerivier). Dit wil voorkom of die
kwagga finaal om en by 1878 in sy geboorteland uitgesterf het
en dat die laaste oorblywende kwaggas in die Oranje-Vrystaat
voorgekom het,
Daar is baie verwysings na dle lot van die kwagga. Die meeste
met 'n
boeke oor Suid-Afrikaanse bewaringsprobleme noem
in
SuidWesterse
beskawing
dat die
mate van wrange trots
Afrika gelei het tot die -uitwissing van beide die bloubok en die
kwagga. Die vraag wat ons onsself moet afvra, is: het ons baat
gevind by die les van die kwagga? Gaan "te laat en te min" ook
die grafskrif van ander Suid-Afrikaanse plant- en dierespesies
wees?
groot soogDis inderdaad reeds die geval
- indien ons die
diere uitsluit. Professor Anthony Hall van die Navorsingsgroep
vir Bedreigde Plante aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad raam in'n
artikel wat in die internasionale tydskrif Biological Conservation
verskyn het dat 39 plantspesies wat endemies is aan Suid-Afrika
onlangs uitgewis is. Honderd-en-tien plantspesies word as ''in
gevaar" beskou en die totale aantal bedreigde spesies is 'n
ontstellende 2 334. ls dit die prys wat ons moet betaal vir ons
wetgewing op plantbewaring?
Ons het hoegenaamd geen begr:p van hoeveel ongewer-
in Suid-Afrika uitgewis is nie; baie spesies is
beslis geheel en al uitgewis, sommige voor hulle ontdek en
onopgeteken en
beskryf is deur wetens<apri<es
- inderdaad
owerhede ge.rroeid met
onbetreur. D e Kaapse Provinsiale
bewaring het in 1976 'n moedige maar moontlik tevergeefse
poging aangewend om welgewing in te stel vir die beskerming
\/2n 12 vlindersnesies en een mot. Hulle is onmiddellik
welde diere
gekriliseer oeur sommige sektore van
die
entomolog;ese
gemeenskap omdat hulle dle aandag gevestig het op versamelaars se seldsaamhede en omdat hulle terselfdertyd nie
daarin kon slaag om die habitats waarvan die vlinders afhanklik
is te bewaar nie. (Die kritiek is egter nie heeltemal regverdig
nie; dis belangrik dat daar besef word dat die Regering wel
besorg is oor die lot van individuele spesies en die verkryging
van grond of habitats is finansieel gesproke dikwels nie prak+i^^
,;+.,^^'h^^"
\
I tta.l
uoot ^i^
LlgJ ,ullvuYr
Nogtans is laasgenoemde slelling die sleutel tot natuurbewaring . . . en beklemtoon dit weer eens die les van die
kwagga.
Benewens die feit dat die wet ter beskerming van die kwagga
drie jaar te laat bekendgestel is, is die werklike feit ook oor die
hoof gesien
- dat die beskerming van individuele spesies op
lang termyn sinloos is indien die ekosisteem nie beskerm word
nie.
Wat nie beteken dat die kwagga self onbelangrik was nie. Dit
African Wildlife, Volume 37, No 4
The quagga law of 1886 was a c ear case ol clcs ng it"re stall e
door after the horse had bolted, Can we a11ord to sn:gQer pairorrisingly at the Cape Legislative Assemb y of 100 year-s ago? lis
didn t <norv that iie quagga iac
members had an excuse
-they
generat;on be ludgec? r?e <ncvr v"fat
already gone. How will our
we are losing; we know that legislat ve sleps s'o,r c be tai'en :o
protect vital ecosystems; will we create the iegis aion n 1me?
"The relationship between moderrt
ano itte piart?i
'iatt
has been that nat of symbiotic pariners Drt
ai lne
iape'"','ctm
and the inlested dog, of fungus and ihe oi,ghieo pclaio
Aldo;s F-,r€,.
-(€:''c iir='
=
J. COMRIE GREIG
No. 36
-
Pronrulgatcd
1886.
ACT
(rth
Juli . 1880-
e ret ncg . a ef ,Ie1 :noo Strepe WaarOOr n groep
bervar ngsbe'/'/rsi€s <rokoc trane (an huil nie. Dit was 'n
be angrlke deei van a e Karco-omgev!'ng in die Oranje-Vryslaat
en ln o e Kaao<o on e en si' u t\,' ss rrg het vername ekologiese
,rerander nge n C e Cmge,,^,' rgS 1e\\reeggebrlng.
r^;aS n
D e Amer <aarse e(o ocg Paii Ehrllch vergelyk ekosisteme
rnet vi eglurgv er<e J-v (arl een < nknael verwyder, of miskien
t\"-ee, cf se fs dr e. rraar rceveei xan jy uithaal voor dje vlerk
a{val? \,Vatter s c e s e!iel -( ntinaels? 'n Rit per vliegtuig
ges( eo n e altyc n cea e ,/!'eersomstandighede nle, kan ons
be<osig om sefs net eer {in(nael te verloor wanneer ons
weet dat oaar onstr n ge iye voor e?
D e krvaggar,"et va. 1866 r,,as cuicelik 'n geval van die stalna c e pero op loop gesit het. Kan ons
ceur wat toegemaak
gerc te gl miag oor die Kaapse Wetbekost g om neerbr"';orc
ge'\r/ende Vergacei.,no var OO ,aar gelede? Sy lede het 'n
verskon ng gehad hL.r !e l'ei n e geweet dat dle kwagga iets
van c e verlede was nre l-loe sal ons geslag eendag beoordeel
1'u,9pg? Qrls weet \,vai ons beslg's om te verloor; ons weet dat
.1
For the Better Preservation of Garlre'
Whercas it is expedient to consolidatc .llld .11ll.rlJ tilt l.Lu I r'l'illrri t!)
(' 'l
-..'.-. R-;t rl'^'^f^.^.-'CtCd bv 111 t,.,.,rr. r 't l,{
l'. I
Aope, u'ith the adt'ice and conset.it of the L.gi.l.rrrrc ( L'Ltrr,tl irrJ Il"ttr'
of Assemblv thcreof:l The lollorvitrg GaIrte Lau'Proclllll.lrrrrrl\ .rrr ir.r'l'r ttl" tlt''l: tlr'tt l'
.^.".,
D,^.1.-."r;^- ,lated 21sr \1,rrr'lt. lrll. rItril(J (,.r;rt. I.rrr
(u
Jdy.
r,,!
'Llsll. !lrtillrrl
Proclamation;" the Proclanratjon darcJ l.lr,i lrtlrt't
"Amendntent of Ganle Law
Elepharlts: .rtll tlle l)r(r'lrrll rlr(jrr J rit'i
1,lth March, i823, entitlcd "Ametldnt.-tlr rrl (',rtrrt l.rrr - l-l rrrJ'
q'ord
"ganle"
shall
for thc p'1111',,... .rt- tlli: \' r l'e : ik''rl 'r:'i
The
l.
undersrood to rnian a'd compreh-lJ the 'e r e r.rl lrirJ: rrlJ ltritlr'tl: 'r1'
lvelgeilende stappe gedoen moei lvord om lewensbelangrike
eKos sleme 1e Des(errn; kan or-rs
lr r:1 q pn?
I
erdle wetgewing betyds die
J. COMRIE GREIG
this Colony following. not being dolltcstre ,,r..i. ({rrllllr()rll\ krlo\ tt 't:
par,t.", koihrrn, guinea-fou-l, pheasa:tt. l'.rrrri.lre..lroitsc. trlJ Jikkol''
elcphrtt, camelopard, scacorv (hippopotrllltls. I'rrf i.rltr. ztLrr'r' qLt'rggl'
tsuichell zebra, buck (comprchendirrg thc sil,'lr'.lrlrelol'e \p'(re: \\itll
jns titc grLr or
the exception of springbucks actuallY nrigr.rriIs. l.Lrt ine lu.l
s'ildebeest), hare and rabbit (not beilts cotrcrs,:
-1. No person shall, sar-e as is hereinailer prt'rr.le.l. klll. c'rteir' clFlirr''
pursue, hunt or shoot at, sell, haw-k, or c\F()\c lir:.rlc. q.lttlc itl 'tllr p:rr trl
Lll
N
a
J4
l=r
EINCUIAS
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African Wlldlife, Volume 37' No 4