Farmer’s Weekly – 23 August 2019

(Kiana) #1
TherewereseveralTsonga
settlementsalongtheSabiRiver
andfurthernorthbeyondthe
LetabaRiver,althoughthe
northwassparselypopulated
comparedwiththesouth.
ManyoftheTsongamenwere
employedfortheconstruction
ofrailroads,notablytheone
betweenPretoriaandLourenço
MarquesinPortugueseEast
Africa.Gamemeatwassupplied
totheworkers,andtherefore
theareabecameoverhunted.

Wolhuter’sareawaslocated
inthesouthernsectionofthe
modernKrugerNationalPark.
Later,theSingwitsiReservewas
proclaimedfurthertothenorth;
thisfellunderhiscontrolaswell.
Withhisthreepolice
trackersandhisfaithfuldog,
Bull,Wolhuterpatrolledfar
andwide,andbecamewell
knowntotheinhabitants.

Poisedtoattack
Thefactthatthesouthernmost
areahadbecomedenuded
ofgamewasblamedon
theBoerforcesandrailway
constructionperiod.
Wolhuterdispelledthis
misconceptionandproved
thattherealculpritwasthe
1896-1897rinderpestepidemic,
whichleftanoverabundance
ofpredators,suchaslions,
leopards,wilddogsandhyenas.

S


hortlybeforetheSouth
AfricanWar(1899-1902),
PresidentPaulKruger
proclaimedtheestablishment
ofa ‘GovernmentWildlife
Park’intheEasternTransvaal.
Thispieceoflandmarkedthe
beginningofwhatwouldlater
becometheSabiGameReserve.
In1902,ColonelJamesStevenson-
Hamilton,exBritishArmy,was
appointedthefirstwarden.
Helookedacrosshisdeskat
therecruitstandinginfrontof
him.HarryWolhuterwasinhis
20satthetime,tall,lean,and
suntanned.Hangingfromhis
beltwasa longknifeina sheath.
Hewasa veteranofthewarand
hadservedwithSteinaecker’s
Horse.Anirregularmounted
unitraisedbytheBritish,
it haddonedutyalongthe
EasternTransvaalborderwith
Mozambiqueduringtheconflict.
Wolhuterwas 13 whenhis
parentsleftBeaufortWest,
wherehewasborn.Theymade
forLegogoteintheEastern
Transvaal,buttheyoung
Wolhuterremainedbehindat
Maraisburgandworkedina
tradingstore.Helatermoved
toJohannesburg,wherehewas
employedina barandbilliards
saloon.However,hehankeredfor
theopenveld.Withhissavingshe
boughta goodhorseandrifleand
headedeasttojoinhisparentsat
thetradingstoretheyhadstarted.
Here,hegottoknowthe
Lowveldandthelocaltribes.He
alsobecamefluentinSwazi.He
hadhisfirsttasteofcombatin
theMagatoWar,foughtagainst
theBasutochiefofthatname,
intheZoutpansbergregion.
WhenWolhuterreturned
home,helearntthattheAnglo-
BoerWarhadbrokenout,

andthata forceofvolunteers
wasbeingraisedatNomabasha
neartheSwazilandborder
topatroltheregion.
OnjoiningSteinaecker’sHorse,
Wolhuter’sfirstassignment
wastooverseea gangmaking
a roadfromKomatipoort
bridgetoMateveskom.
Afterthat,hewasstationed
atSabiBridge,a distantoutpost
attheendoftheSelatirailway
line.Hewaspickedtoleada
patrolconsistingoftwoprivates
and 30 tribesmenasfaras
theOlifantsRiver,toidentify
suitableplacesforotheroutposts
tobeusedforpolicingthe
borderwithPortugueseEast
Africa,andtointerceptBoers
crossingwithdispatches.

GameranGer
Afterthewar,Wolhuterwas
offereda commissioninthe
armybutturnedit downand
returnedtocivilianlife,seeking
permanentemployment.
Stevenson-Hamilton,
meanwhile,waslookingfora
manwiththeexactcapabilities
andexperiencehepossessed.
Afterexplainingtheduties
ofa gameranger,heoffered
thepositiontoWolhuter.He
agreedimmediatelyandthetwo
shookhands.Thefutureofthe
preservationofSouthAfrica’s
wildlifehadjustbeenforged!
Wolhuter’sfirsttaskwasto
finda suitablecampsitefor
himselfandhisthreetrackers.
Afterbuildinga safekraal
forhishorseatPretoriusKop,
theycleareda largeareaofthe
bushfromaroundthecamp.
Themenlivedinmud-and-
reedhuts,anda firehadto
bekeptburningallnight
tokeeppredatorsatbay.

Hisencounterwith twolionswhileondutyas a gamerangermadeHarry Wolhutera celebrity
throughouttheBritishEmpire andelsewhere.GrahamJoostereports.

the lion came
back later that
night, but bull
the dog kept
it away from
his master

Harry Wolhuter and the lions:


a tale of tooth and claw


54 farmer’sweekly 23 august 2019

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