AFRICAN
CONSERVATION AND WEB SITES FOR AFRICA FROM
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The
WILD Foundation
works to protect and sustain critical wild areas, wilderness values and
endangered wildlife throughout the world, with a special emphasis on Southern
Africa, by initiating or assisting
en
vironmental
education, experiential and “hands on” projects and programs. Their
Definition of Wilderness: Large area of unmodified or slightly modified land,
and/or sea, retaining its natural character and influence, without permanent
or significant habitation, which is (or should be) protected and managed
so as to preserve its natural condition. Their Definition of
Wildland
Values Wildland values include: the “ecosystem services’ provided
by wild and natural areas that promote a more healthy and productive human
society, such as clean air and water; timber, grass and other natural resources,
plant medicines, climate tempering, habitat for wildlife, etc. “Social
values” are important and less tangible values than ecosystem services,
such as beauty, solitude, quiet, recreation, therapy, etc. Finally, inherent
values are important but hard-to-measure intangibles that allow nature’s
creatures and systems to experience similar freedom, self-expression, and
evolution as does the human species.
TRAFFIC's mission is to ensure that trade in wild
plants and animals is not a
threat
to the
conservation
of nature.
TRAFFIC's work
is neither easier nor closer to completion than it was in the mid-1970s when
TRAFFIC was
founded largely to assist in the implementation of CITES. CITES now covers
some 30 000 plant and animal species and has more than 150 member countries.
These member countries face ever-more complex issues in determining how best
to ensure that trade does not threaten the survival of species. While continuing
to support the application of CITES,
TRAFFIC has
developed its role in addressing wildlife trade issues in a wider context,
including major commercial sectors such as fisheries and timber trade and
a wide range of regional and local issues. Over a quarter of a century,
TRAFFIC has
developed from a single office into a global network of 22 offices in eight
regional programmes around the world including many in Africa and
TRAFFIC is gradually
reaching out to all 18 countries in the region, identifying where its expertise
is most needed to help ensure that wildlife trade remains sustainable.
The Kissama Foundation was founded in 1996 by a
group of
South Africans and Angolans who were concerned about the
present state of Angola's National Parks and the conservation of the country's
natural resources in general. The primary objectives of the Foundation are
the rehabilitation of the Quicama National Park as well as the other national
parks of Angola. The Quicama National Park will be receiving first priority
and a five-year development plan has been finalized. Reintroducing wildlife
from southern Africa and South Africa will form part of this initiative.
True to Noah's Ark, most of the animals will be transported by boat and released
into the Park. Funds will be used to finance the research necessary to
successfully reintroduce wildlife to the Quigama National park. This will
include locating suitable wild animals and transporting them to Angola. The
training of personnel such as rangers as well as community educators for
the education of the local population is also of vast importance. Contact
details as follows : Angola: Genl. Joao Baptiste de Matos, PO Box 2110, Luanda,
Fax: +2442 392245, South Africa: Prof Wouter van Hoven, Centre for Wildlife
Management, University of Pretoria, Tel: + 27 12 460 5430, Fax: + 27 12 460
9707, Email :
wild@kissama.org.
The
Zambezi Society
promotes responsible management of the
precious
natural resources and wild nature of the Zambezi River basin for the benefit
of its biological and human communities. Formed in 1982, this small,
international NGO has headquarters in Harare, with fund-raising bases in
the United Kingdom and Japan. The Society's focus is the basin of the Zambezi
River which flows through Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and
Mozambique before pouring into the Indian Ocean in a spectacular delta. This
is one of the finest and least spoilt rivers in the world. Its has many important
ecosystems and habitats; wetlands, riverine woodlands; montain forests; dry
forests; savannahs and aquatic ecosystems. Its wide diversity
of
species includes black rhinoceros; elephant; cheetah; lion; leopard; crocodile;
lechwe; over 600 bird species; and a great variety of trees and plants. Some
of these are protected in a series of magnificent National Parks, but many
valuable Zambezi species, ecosystems and wilderness areas still survive outside
these parks as well. The biodiversity and wild nature of the Zambezi are
threatened by unplanned human settlement; illegal wildlife hunting; hydroelectric
projects, minerals exploitation and ill-advised tourism development. But
the biggest threats are lack of knowledge and lack of co-ordinated planning.
The Zambezi
Society, through advocacy and project work, promotes awareness about
the
Za
mbezi
river’s values, encourages coordinated development planning for the
whole river basin, undertakes research into the biodiversity and wilderness
values of the Zambezi, and disseminates the resulting information as widely
as possible. At a grassroots level, the Society helps Zambezi valley communities
develop self-help projects to conserve valuable forest patches in their areas,
provides equipment for anti-poaching scouts in protected and settled lands,
and reinforces mechanisms to protect important species such as the black
rhinoceros which are at risk of extinction through illegal hunting activities.
Much of Africa's
habitat and its wildlife is threatened by overpopulation and unsustainable
use of natural resources
by poor people. Raptors are no exception; over 100 species
either breed in Africa or migrate there each winter from Europe and Asia.
Conservation of far ranging species like raptors and other migratory birds
presents special problems to biologists. How do we protect animals that range
so far and need widely dispersed habitats in which to survive?
The Peregrine
Fund's Pan Africa Program aims to establish projects throughout Africa
that train local people to do the studies needed to achieve conservation
of birds of prey and other species. The programme will bring biologists from
diverse countries and cultures together in a common effort to protect Africa's
natural resources. You can email The Peregrine Fund at
tpf@peregrinefund.org.
The mission of the
International Fund for
Animal Welfare (IFAW) is to improve the welfare
of wild and domestic animals throughout the world
by reducing commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats,
and assisting animals in distress. They seek to motivate the public to prevent
cruelty to animals and to promote animal welfare and conservation policies
that advance the well-being of both animals and people.
IFAW was founded in 1969
to confront the cruel commercial slaughter of harp and hooded seals. Having
successfully rallied worldwide condemnation of the hunt, they have grown
to become one of the largest international animal welfare organizations in
the world. Today IFAW
has offices in 12 countries and a staff of more than 200 experienced campaigners,
legal and political experts, and internationally acclaimed scientists. They
are a pragmatic and dedicated family of professionals who believe that animals
suffer far too much from commercial exploitation, habitat destruction, and
needless cruelty. And they are joined in that belief by more than 1.8 million
supporters. You can email
IFAW -
info@ifaw.org.
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For
more information on Angola, click here.
If you would
like to contact us please email
terry@africanconservation.org
