Frederick Courteney Selous
Frederick Courteney Selous DSO was born in England on the December 31, 1851. He was an explorer, conservationist, naturalist and hunter, made famous by his exploits in southern and east Africa. He died in what is now the Selous Game Reserve during World War I, in 1917. Selous was the older brother of ornithologist and writer Edmund Selous and a good friend of Theodore Roosevelt. His real-life adventures inspired Sir H. Rider Haggard's fictional character Allan Quatermain.
At a young age, Selous' love for natural history led to his resolve to study wildlife in its natural habitat. He moved to Africa when he was 19, traveling from the Cape of Good Hope to Matabeleland (present day Zimbabwe), where he arrived in 1872. Once in Matabeleland, he was granted permission by Lobengula, King of the Matabele, to shoot game anywhere in his dominion. For the next 18 years, until 1890, Selous explored the little-known regions between present-day Zimbabwe to just south of the Congo Basin. He collected numerous specimens for a variety of museums and private collections. His travels contributed significantly to the minimal knowledge of the region and its natural history. In addition to natural history, he added valuable ethnological insight gleaned from encounters with locals during his wanderings. He wrote of populations that had never been previously seen by a European, and maintained cordial relations with chiefs and tribes, winning their confidence and esteem. He had a gift and ability to observe, retain and accurately recount observations.
In 1890, Selous entered the service of the British South Africa Company as the guide on the pioneering expedition to Mashonaland (present day Zimbabwe). Over two and a half months, Selous and his team constructed over 400 miles of road through a country of forest, mountain and swamp, and eventually arrived safely at their destination. This penetration into Mashonaland led to the takeover of the country by the British. Upon return to England in December 1892, he was awarded the Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in recognition of his extensive explorations and surveys. His book, Twenty Years in Zambesia chronicles the years from 1872 to 1892.
He returned to Africa in 1893 to take part in the First Matabele War and was wounded during the advance on Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Later, Selous settled back in England, but continued to make expeditions, visiting Asia Minor, Newfoundland, and the Canadian Rockies among others. Contrary to popular belief, Selous did not lead Theodore Roosevelt's 1909 expedition to British East Africa, the Congo and Egypt. However, Selous was a member of this expedition on occasion and helped organise the logistics of the safari. This was possibly the largest safari ever, with a retinue of some 300 people. The official purpose of the expedition was to collect specimens for the Smithsonian Institute. Roosevelt wrote: "Mr. Selous is the last of the big game hunters of Southern Africa; the last of the mighty hunters whose experience lay in the greatest hunting ground which this world has seen since civilised man has appeared herein". During the safari, Roosevelt and his son Kermit shot over 500 animals. On his return to the US, Roosevelt published an account of the adventure in his 1910 book African Game Trails.
In World War I, at the age of 64, Selous fought in east Africa as a Captain in the 25th (Frontiersmen) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers unit. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1916. Later, in January 1917, on patrol in the Beho Beho region of present-day Selous Game Reserve, while creeping forward to try and locate the Germans, he raised his binoculars and was shot through the side of the head and died immediately. His son, who was killed in action in France in 1918, followed him in death.
Selous was one of Africa's first conservationists. His objectives while on expedition were rooted in natural history. His goal was not to land the biggest trophy, but he was among the most famous hunter-naturalists and slayers of big game. During his exploits, Selous noticed the impact of European hunters on the significant reduction in Africa's game. In 1881, on a short return to England, he noted, "Every year elephants were becoming scarcer and wilder south of the Zambezi".
The Selous Game Reserve in southeastern Tanzania is named in his honour. Established in 1922, it covers an area of more than 17,000 square miles (55,000 square kilometers) along the Kilombero, Ruaha, and Rufiji Rivers. In 1982, the Selous Game Reserve was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the diversity of its wildlife and undisturbed nature.
