Decrease in the Number of Buffaloes.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS
PERMANENT MANDATES COMMISSION
MINUTES
OF THE
FIFTEENTH SESSION
Held at Geneva from October 24th to November 11th, 1927.
including the
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
Lord LUGARD, with reference to the table on page 60, "Animal Census, 1920-27", noted a very large decrease in buffaloes. The numbers had fallen from 2,725 in 1920 to 596 in 1927. Was there any reason for this? Had they been attacked by disease?
Lt.-Colonel Sir Stewart SYMES said that a grievance of certain Arabs had been that the swamps in which the buffaloes had formerly lived had now been drained, with the result that the buffaloes had disappeared with the mosquitoes.