Why did colonial laws reduce grazing space for pastoralists' animals?

Correct answer: Forests were reserved and grazing lands were converted to cultivation.

Colonial policies changed land use in ways that restricted pastoral mobility. Forests were declared reserved or protected, reducing customary access for grazing, while other open areas were brought under cultivation or commercial land management. Together, these changes narrowed the routes and spaces available to herds. Option A is correct because it identifies both major causes stated in the historical account. Option B is unrelated to the loss of grazing land, option C is biologically and historically absurd, and option D reverses the actual trend: fields were increasingly used for cultivation rather than being converted into universal pastures. The result was pressure on pastoral livelihoods.