The World's Disappearing Wildlife [antikvár]

Introduction NTRODUCTION This book is intended to give an up-to-date review of the situation of world wildlife and the major changes that have taken place during the 1970s. Inevitably the emphasis must be on conservation, since it affects the world's fauna, and in this field we shall be examining the gains and losses of recent years. We shall also be taking note of significant increases in knowledge of selected species, of their behaviour and other aspects of their biology. These two aspects of natural history are closely linked, for often the best conservation is dependent on more detailed information on what an animal does, how it lives and on what makes it tick. Overshadowing all else in the massive global effort to stem the damaging influences on the world's fauna are the demands made by the accelerating increases in human populations and the strains these impose on limited natural resources. Suddenly mankind has become aware that the world has an energy crisis on its hands and that unless he can realize his optimistic hopes and solve, or at least mitigate, this crisis by the use of solar energy, the effect on the world's living resources may well be disastrous. In the meantime, the menace to the world's animals remains. The destruction or spoliation of the habitat and the often wanton killing of a wide variety of animals, not merely for food but more especially for their skins and other parts—such as elephant tusks—has been devastating and has happened frequently for no better reason than to satisfy the whims of fashion or ignorant superstition. These are the broad considerations and they can be best appreciated with reference to the smaller details of conservation efforts. A single example of the conflicting elements within a relatively small area is seen in Morocco, the country, which with Tunisia, Algeria and Libya constitutes the Mediterranean fringe of the arid northern half of Africa. Helped by French scientists, the Moroccan government did two things. They drew up a list of birds and animals needing protection and distributed posters portraying them to forest stations throughout the country. The forestry department were given sole responsibility for the nation's wildlife. The Below left: reaching up to find fresh food, the African elephant Below right: a clawless otter demonstrating its powerful paws