The Stag of the Eastern Cape: Power, Status and Kudu Hunting in the Albany and Fort Beaufort Districts, 1890 to 1905

The introduction and enforcement of Game legislation in the Cape Colony during the latter part of the 19th century complemented existing local efforts aimed at the preservation of wild animals for sporting purposes on private land. This article explores the successful initiatives that were to ensure the survival, and even increase, of kudu in the Albany and Fort Beaufort magisterial districts during the period 1890 to 1905. An analysis of surviving applications for permits to shoot kudu, which were classified as royal game, reveals the identity and connections of those who enjoyed the privilege of hunting kudu for sport and explains how kudu hunting in these districts came to be the preserve of a small elite of (mostly English speaking) landowners and their associates. These developments provided a foundation for the later establishment of both public game reserves and private commercial tourism and sports hunting industries in the region.