Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt (1858-1919), African Expedition

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt (1858-1919), African Safari & Scientific Expedition (April 21, 1909 to March 14, 1910)


Theodore Roosevelt in Africa in his hunting costume


Theodore Roosevelt, the safari expedition


Theodore Roosevelt, the great white hunter

“The hunter who wanders through these lands sees sights which ever afterward remain fixed in his mind... Apart from this, yet mingled with it, is the strong attraction of the silent places, of the large tropic moons, and the splendor of the new stars; where the wanderer sees the awful glory of sunrise and sunset in the wide waste spaces of the earth, unworn of man, and changed only by the slow change of the ages through time everlasting.”
Col. Theodore Roosevelt in Khartoum, March 15, 1910


Map of safari expedition


Map of safari expedition

Theodore Roosevelt - African Safari & Scientific Expedition
Of the rifles, he chose the 1895 lever-action in 30-03 U.S. as well as a .405 Winchester and both were the highlighted calibers for his African Expedition. Theodore Roosevelt ended up having 15 wooden crates full of Winchesters rifles, ammunition and spare parts for his expedition from Winchester Reapeating Arms Co.


Some of Theodore Roosevelt baggage and equipment for safari expedition


Theodore Roosevelt on the bank of the nile arranging transport


Theodore Roosevelt, porters at the start of the expedition


Theodore Roosevelt inspecting rifle with Kermit Roosevelt


Theodore Roosevelt with Kermit Roosevelt in Kenya


The camping ground at Wapiti Plains in East Africa, Kenya


Theodore Roosevelt in front of his tent

Expedition Members
Newland & Tarlton, outfitters
R.J. Cunninghame, leader
Leslie J. Tarlton, adjutant
Edmund Heller, zoologist, age 34
J. Alden Loring, zoologist, age 38
Edgar A. Means, physician, age 52
Kermit Roosevelt, photographer, age 21
Theodore Roosevelt, bwana, age 50

Hunting Licenses
50gbp, 50 animals/hunter
17gbp, extra bull elephant
5gbp, extra giraffe, rhino, or eland
3gbp, extra antelope
2gbp, extra wildebeest
2gbp, extra waterbuck

Expedition Costs
$50,000 from Smithsonian Museum appeal
$25,000 from Theodore Roosevelt
$25,000 from Andrew Carnegie
2005 equivalent = appx. $1.8 million dollars

Game List
• Lion = 9
• Hyena = 5
• Elephant = 8
• Rhinoceros = 5 (square mouth)
• Rhinoceros = 8 (hook lipped)
• Hippopotamus = 7
• Warthog = 8
• Zebra (common) = 15
• Zebra (big) = 5
• Giraffe = 7
• Buffalo = 6
• Eland (giant) = 1
• Eland (common) = 5
• Bushbuck =2 (East African)
• Bushbuck = 1 (Ugandan)
• Bushbuck = 3 (Nile)
• Roan = 4
• Oryx = 10
• Wildebeest = 5
• Hartebeest = 10 (Coke's)
• Hartebeest = 14 (Jackson's)
• Hartebeest = 1 (Ugandan)
• Hartebeest = 8 (Nilotic)
• Topi = 12
• Waterbuck = 5 (common)
• Waterbuck = 6 (singsing)
• Python = 3
• Kob = 10 (common)
• Kob = 1 (Vaughan's)
• Kob = 3 (white eared)
• Lechwe = 3 (saddlebacked)
• Redbuck (bohor) = 10
• Buck (Chanler's) = 3
• Impalla = 7
• Gazelle (Granti) = 5
• Gazelle (Robertsi) = 4
• Gazelle (Notata) = 8
• Gazelle = 11 (Thompson's)
• Gerenuk = 3
• Klipspringer = 1
• Oribi = 18
• Duiker = 3
• Steinbuck = 4
• Dikdik = 1
• Monkey = 1 (red ground)
• Monkey = 5 (black and white ground)
• Ostrich = 2
• Bustard (Greater) = 4
• Bustard (Lesser) = 1
• Crane (kavirondo) = 2
• Stork (whale head) = 1
• Marabou = 1
• Stork (saddle bill) = 2
• Stork (ibis) = 1
• Pelican = 5
• Guinea fowl = 1
• Crocodile = 1


Theodore Roosevelt on the Wapiti Plains


Theodore Roosevelt and Kermit Roosevelt on the Kapiti plains


Theodore Roosevelt and the lion


Theodore Roosevelt and Kermit Roosevelt with elands


Black rhino


Shot rhino


Theodore Roosevelt with black rhino


Theodore Roosevelt and his prize rhino


Theodore Roosevelt with rhino and bustard


Theodore Roosevelt with rhino and bustard shot from rhino


Towing the hippo shot by Theodore Roosevelt


Dragging hippo out of the water


Landing the hippo shot by Theodore Roosevelt


Rolling out the hippo


The dead hippo


Theodore Roosevelt with hippo and bwana Engozi (Judd)


Theodore Roosevelt, towing the big bull hippo, Lake Naivasha


Bringing the big bull hippo to shore


Theodore Roosevelt big bull hippo


[IMG]Theodore Roosevelt with one of the Hippos[/IMG]


Theodore Roosevelt and naturalist looking for the bullet in the hippo's skull

In March 1909, shortly after the end of his presidency, Roosevelt left New York for a safari in east and central Africa. Roosevelt's party landed in Mombasa, British East Africa (now Kenya), traveled to the Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) before following the Nile up to Khartoum in modern Sudan. Financed by Andrew Carnegie and by his own proposed writings, Roosevelt's party hunted for specimens for the Smithsonian Institution and for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The group included scientists from the Smithsonian and was led by the legendary hunter-tracker R.J. Cunninghame and was joined from time to time by Frederick Selous, the famous big game hunter and explorer. Among other items, Roosevelt brought with him four tons of salt for preserving animal hides, a lucky rabbit's foot given to him by boxer John L. Sullivan, an elephant-rifle donated by a group of 56 admiring Britons, and the famous Pigskin Library, a collection of classics bound in pig leather and transported in a single reinforced trunk.

All told, Roosevelt and his companions killed or trapped over 11,397 animals, from insects and moles to hippopotamuses and elephants. These included 512 big game animals, including six rare white rhinos. The expedition consumed 262 of the animals. Tons of salted animals and their skins were shipped to Washington; the quantity was so large that it took years to mount them all, and the Smithsonian was able to share many duplicate animals with other museums.

Regarding the large number of animals taken, Roosevelt said, "I can be condemned only if the existence of the National Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and all similar zoological institutions are to be condemned." However, although the safari was ostensibly conducted in the name of science, there was another, quite large element to it as well. Along with many native peoples and local leaders, interaction with renowned professional hunters and land owning families made the safari as much a political and social event, as it was a hunting excursion. Roosevelt wrote a detailed account of the adventure in the book African Game Trails, where he describes the excitement of the chase, the people he met, and the flora and fauna he collected in the name of science.


Theodore Roosevelt, first elephant camp, Kenia


The first bull elephant


Camping after death of the first bull elephant


Theodore Roosevelt with elephant


Theodore Roosevelt and bull elephant shot at Meru


Measuring elephant


Theodore Roosevelt, bringing the skull of my second bull


Theodore Roosevelt, Kermit Roosevelt and Sir Alfred Pease at the carcass of first big lion


Theodore Roosevelt and Kermit Roosevelt


Theodore Roosevelt and buffalo cow in papyrus grass


Kermit Roosevelt and his big lion


Kermit Roosevelt and the leopard


Tarlton and cheetah shot by Kermit Roosevelt


Theodore Roosevelt big lion and Tarlton


Theodore Roosevelt and Cuninghame discussing the next few days' march over a wildebeest shot by Mr. Roosevelt


A large American flag was floating over my own tent, Theodore Roosevelt


Theodore Roosevelt and Medlicott at the spot for the first day of lion hunt


Noon at Ugami, Sir Alfred Pease bending over behind Theodore Roosevelt


Theodore Roosevelt weighing a lioness shot by him


Theodore Roosevelt, stopping for luncheon at Bondoni rocks


Heads of two big lions shot by Theodore Roosevelt


Kermit Roosevelt and cheetah shot by him


The old bull giraffe and Heller's Wkamba skinners


A young bull giraffe shot by Theodore Roosevelt at Kilimakiu


A zebra shot by Theodore Roosevelt


Theodore Roosevelt, Captain Slatter and rhino shot by Mr. Roosevelt


One of the Black Rhinos


Rhino of the usual type with prehensile lip, shot in the Sotik by Theodore


Male square-nosed rhino shot by Kermit Roosevelt


Cow square-nosed rhino of the Lado shot by Theodore Roosevelt


The great square-nosed rhino of the Lado


Theodore Roosevelt and some of the Nandi warriors


Theodore Roosevelt at Mother Paul's Mission


Theodore Roosevelt and Charles Hurlburt of the Africa Inland Mission


Theodore Roosevelt Rhino camp, lado Enclave


Theodore Roosevelt on a situtunga hunt


Theodore Roosevelt, camp in thorn grove by Guaso Nyero


Theodore Roosevelt, my boma when I was camped alone


Theodore Roosevelt, Governernor Jackson, Mr. Selous and Mr. Mearns


Theodore Roosevelt, porters dancing when breaking camp in Kamiti


Theodore Roosevelt, the safari fording a stream


A domesticated young male eland at Meru


Theodore Roosevelt with a whale-billed stork at Lake No


Theodore Roosevelt with Masai warriors and prize lion


Theodore Roosevelt with two big leopards


Kermit Roosevelt first giant eland shot on the Redjaf trip


Lion shot by Kermit Roosevelt


Theodore Roosevelt with kob, shot at rhino camp


Theodore Roosevelt, skinning an antilope


Heller preparing to send heads of the first five weeks


Porters returning at the end of the expedition


Monish

The Expedition Team
R.J. Cunninghame, leader
Leslie J. Tarlton, adjutant
Edmund Heller, zoologist, age 34
J. Alden Loring, zoologist, age 38
Edgar A. Means, physician, age 52
Kermit Roosevelt, photographer, age 21
Theodore Roosevelt, bwana, age 50


Cuninghame, Kermit, Theodore Roosevelt, Heller and Heatley at Buffalo Camp


Monish

Interrestingly, Wilbur Smith's most recent novel 'Assegai' features some fictional tales of the Roosevelt trip. Fascinating read.

Superb

Originally Posted by Bicholui

Superb

Thanks my friend...

Monish


Theodore Roosevelt specimens at the National Museum of Natural History

How much money will it cost this safari today? More than a million dollar?

It was estimated to 1.8 million $ in 2005 should be 3.0 million $ today my friend......

Monish

You know what!! I would pay

Great !!! Plan a safari ........ You have to look out for a outfitter who could cater to such a lavish expedition ....

Thanks Monish for all of these pictures and taking the time to prepare such wonderful post.

Theodore Roosevelt and Africa
Excerpt from Natural history, Volume 19 By American Museum of Natural History


African Game Trails, An Account of the African Wanderings of an American Hunter-Naturalist. Ex-President and explorer Theodore Roosevelt recalls in his journal of a hunting trip in Africa the many animals he stalked and killed for the Smithsonian institution, and his meetings with East Africans.

View the entire excerpt at theodore-roosevelt-and-africa.pdf.


The dead tusker


Theodore Roosevelt's First African Article


Roosevelt in Africa


Teddy in the African Jungle

View the entire excerpt at theodore-roosevelt-and-africa.pdf.