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Overall conservation programme in Madagascar
Conservation Around the Worm
34, or an average of 28,* in 1969. To quote from the report: ' I f the present efforts of the W W F for Udjung Kulon are continued, the Javan Rhinoceros has a real chance to survive and its numbers will increase'. This prospect should be enough encouragement for the W W F to carry on readily with its assistance. In this respect it is particularly rewarding to report that, with regard to the scientific side, the assistance will be provided by the Basle Patronage Committee for Udjung Kulon again in the coming years.
309
assistance has gradually built up to cover a continuing overall programme for the study and preservation of the endangered flora and fauna of this very important island, but, above all, with attention to the unique Malagasy lemurs. This programme has been carried out under the supervision of the Museum of Natural History in Paris. Towards it the W W F contributed, to the end of 1969, a total of £20,272 = $50,631 = SFr 218,924.
The highlight of the programme so far has been the capture and translocation of about a dozen Aye-ayes to the special reserve created on the island of Nossi WORLD WILDLIFEFUND, Mangabe in the Bay of Antongil in north-east 1110 Morges, Madagascar, which may be regarded as the turning Switzerland. point in the battle to save this remarkable and highly * The 'median estimate' of the preceding year was 24.--Ed. attractive (Fig. 1) species from extinction. It has become obvious of late that the continuation of this overall conservation programme will be a definite W W F responsibility for the near future and probably until such time as the Malagasy authorities are in a position to take it over. Meanwhile we hope very much that the I U C N Conference which is to be OVERALL CONSERVATIONPROGRAMMEIN MADAGASCAR held in Tananarive late in 1970 will give guidance and help in many ways. Madagascar has been a focal area for the W W F from the very beginning. Starting off with a small grant WORLD WILDLIFEFUND 1110 Morges, in 1962 for the delimitation of a special reserve for the Switzerland. very rare Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis, Fig. 1), then on the verge of extinction, the W W F
MURCHISON FALLS EN OUGANDA: DESTRUCTION OU PROTECTION?
Fig. 1. An Aye-aye on a coconut. This only genus and living species o f the chiromyid family Daubentoniidae inhabits forests, mangroves, and bamboo thickets, in N W and E Madagascar. The body ranges from 360 to 400 mm in length and the bushy tail from 500 to 600 mm. The animal weighs about 2 kg and subsists mainly on insect larvae, birds" eggs, and a range o f plant materials. The larger Daubentonia robusta is apparently extinct. Photo: Dr J. J. Petter/WWF,
En 1864, l'explorateur anglais Sir Samuel W. Baker d6couvrit le lac Albert et les chutes du Nil auquel il donna le nom du pr6sident de la Soci6t6 royale de G6ographie. Le spectacle des Murchison Falls (Fig. 1) l'enthousiasma: 'De chaque c6t6 du fleuve s'61evaient ~t pic les rochers magnifiquement bois6s . . . Le Nil, pr6cipitant sa masse 6norme ~ travers une 6chancrure de ce mur naturel, 6tait comme 6trangl6 dans une 6cluse d'~ peine cinquante verges de largeur. S'61an~ant avec furie dans ce d6fi16, il plongeait d'un seul jet d'environ 120 pieds au fond du sombre gouffre creus6 au-dessous . . . La cataracte d'une blancheur 6blouissante formait un contraste impressionnant avec les rochers noirs qui encaissent le fleuve . . . . ' C'est en 1952, sous les Anglais, qu'un parc national de plus de 4,000 km 2 fut cr66 autour de cette merveille de la Nature, et c'est un des plus grands et des plus beaux de l'Ouganda, Mais aujourd'hui, les chutes
34, or an average of 28,* in 1969. To quote from the report: ' I f the present efforts of the W W F for Udjung Kulon are continued, the Javan Rhinoceros has a real chance to survive and its numbers will increase'. This prospect should be enough encouragement for the W W F to carry on readily with its assistance. In this respect it is particularly rewarding to report that, with regard to the scientific side, the assistance will be provided by the Basle Patronage Committee for Udjung Kulon again in the coming years.
309
assistance has gradually built up to cover a continuing overall programme for the study and preservation of the endangered flora and fauna of this very important island, but, above all, with attention to the unique Malagasy lemurs. This programme has been carried out under the supervision of the Museum of Natural History in Paris. Towards it the W W F contributed, to the end of 1969, a total of £20,272 = $50,631 = SFr 218,924.
The highlight of the programme so far has been the capture and translocation of about a dozen Aye-ayes to the special reserve created on the island of Nossi WORLD WILDLIFEFUND, Mangabe in the Bay of Antongil in north-east 1110 Morges, Madagascar, which may be regarded as the turning Switzerland. point in the battle to save this remarkable and highly * The 'median estimate' of the preceding year was 24.--Ed. attractive (Fig. 1) species from extinction. It has become obvious of late that the continuation of this overall conservation programme will be a definite W W F responsibility for the near future and probably until such time as the Malagasy authorities are in a position to take it over. Meanwhile we hope very much that the I U C N Conference which is to be OVERALL CONSERVATIONPROGRAMMEIN MADAGASCAR held in Tananarive late in 1970 will give guidance and help in many ways. Madagascar has been a focal area for the W W F from the very beginning. Starting off with a small grant WORLD WILDLIFEFUND 1110 Morges, in 1962 for the delimitation of a special reserve for the Switzerland. very rare Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis, Fig. 1), then on the verge of extinction, the W W F
MURCHISON FALLS EN OUGANDA: DESTRUCTION OU PROTECTION?
Fig. 1. An Aye-aye on a coconut. This only genus and living species o f the chiromyid family Daubentoniidae inhabits forests, mangroves, and bamboo thickets, in N W and E Madagascar. The body ranges from 360 to 400 mm in length and the bushy tail from 500 to 600 mm. The animal weighs about 2 kg and subsists mainly on insect larvae, birds" eggs, and a range o f plant materials. The larger Daubentonia robusta is apparently extinct. Photo: Dr J. J. Petter/WWF,
En 1864, l'explorateur anglais Sir Samuel W. Baker d6couvrit le lac Albert et les chutes du Nil auquel il donna le nom du pr6sident de la Soci6t6 royale de G6ographie. Le spectacle des Murchison Falls (Fig. 1) l'enthousiasma: 'De chaque c6t6 du fleuve s'61evaient ~t pic les rochers magnifiquement bois6s . . . Le Nil, pr6cipitant sa masse 6norme ~ travers une 6chancrure de ce mur naturel, 6tait comme 6trangl6 dans une 6cluse d'~ peine cinquante verges de largeur. S'61an~ant avec furie dans ce d6fi16, il plongeait d'un seul jet d'environ 120 pieds au fond du sombre gouffre creus6 au-dessous . . . La cataracte d'une blancheur 6blouissante formait un contraste impressionnant avec les rochers noirs qui encaissent le fleuve . . . . ' C'est en 1952, sous les Anglais, qu'un parc national de plus de 4,000 km 2 fut cr66 autour de cette merveille de la Nature, et c'est un des plus grands et des plus beaux de l'Ouganda, Mais aujourd'hui, les chutes