Good news for Gorillas

Tea plantation operators will not be allowed in the Kafuga Forest, Uganda.

A court has put the forest under the stewardship of the local district, and they’ve also said the forest must be made into a protected area within a year!

This area is on the borders of gorilla habitat and the forest keeps threats at a distance from the Bwindi National Park.   The park is home to about a third of the last mountain gorillas on earth – less than 1,100. 

 
The Kafuga Forest is safe
image ©CC BY-SA 2.0

And Kafuga Forest is home to hundreds of species of birds, rodents and chimpanzees.

The struggle has been going on for years, with 12 people being arrested for cutting down trees there in 2016.  

The High Court wanted evidence from the envrionmentalists that the suspects had done this inside of the Kafuga Forest – and the area had been mapped, with the financial support of Rainforest Rescue.  This mapping was crucial because it showed the court that the defendants’ claim that they were felling trees on their property wasn’t right.

A quarter of a million people signed a petition with Rainforest Rescue about it and many people donated towards it as well.

Rainforest Rescue report that the next step is to make the forest a protected area in the next year!

Visit Rainforest Rescue's website here.

Rainforest Rescue are asking for donations to help the indigenous Ekuri protect their community forest.

You see, bulldozers appeared without warning and started to clear one of Nigeria’s last remaining forests.  

The Ekuri people rose up quickly – they have a lot of experience defending their forest against the exploitation of others.

The Ekuri people and Rainforest Rescue have developed a powerful coalition over the years.

They want to get the government of Cross River State to abandon its plans for a superhighway to nowhere. 

If it were to be created, that superhighway would impact national parks, forest reserves – and 185 villages along its 270 kilometre route.Sixty Eco-Guards are being trained to protect the forest by Martins Ego and activities of the NGOs Ekuri Initiative and DevCon.

One of the species of wildlife who will be particularly affected if this highway goes ahead is the endangered Cross River Gorillas because the region is home to the Afi Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Please help the Ekuri people defend their forest home and protect it for people and wildlife – especially the gorillas! Find out more and donate here 

There’s more good news for nature.

Tristan da Cunha is a remote island chain in the South Pacific.  It’s 2,400 kilometres from the nearest land!

And Birdlife International report that Tristan da Cunha has been declared a Marine Protection Zone, one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries and a pristine wildlife haven.

The MPA is nearly three times the size of the UK.  MILLIONS of seabirds, fish and mammals Penguins and seals, threatened sharks and whales will all benefit.  25 seabird species breed here, four of which are unique to the islands and which are also globally threatened.   It includes the World Heritage Site of Gough Island which is a renowned albatross stronghold, and, it could be argued, one of the most important seabird islands in the world

The MPA has been established thanks to international collaboration between governments, NGOs and local islanders.  The whole thing was instigated by the Tristan de Cunha government and the RSPB.

The Tristan islanders themselves led the way however, as nature guardians in the Atlantic Ocean.  They have already declared protected status for over half their territory, and they know that the sea is critical for their long term survival.  They are proud to play a key role in protecting the health of the oceans.

The UK Government Blue Belt Programme, National Geographic Pristine Seas and the Great British Oceans coalition. British Antarctic Survey, University of Plymouth and the Natural History Museum have also been involved.

Recently, a study found that banned fishing in 5% or more of the ocean would increase global catches by 20% plus in future.  And of course this newly protected MPA ties into the wider global goal to secure protection of 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 to tackle climate change and the biodiversity crisis.

Well done to everyone involved! 

Visit Birdlife International to find out more

Don't miss Tuesday and Wednesday 5 and 6 January 2021 at 9pm on BBC2:  Cheetah Family and Me with Gordon Buchanan 

It's back!  There's a repeat of Snow Cats and Me on BBC2 at 8pm on Friday 13 November 2020!

Here's my post from the previous showing:

I'm watching a lynx catching the first rays of sun on her fur ever, in Russia.  This lynx is one of two who have been rescued from a chap who kept two lynx to breed from and this amazing rescuer has got the owner to hand them over.

The rescuer is big cat expert Dr Victor Lukarevsky who is trying for the first time ever to rescue lynx and rehabilitat them so that they can go back into the wild. This is in complete contrast to their previous life when they were living in cages in a garage.

Lynx are wanted for the pet trade and fur trade in Russia. 

Anyway, do watch Gordon Buchanan's Snow Cats and Me.  There are 2 episodes and you can find out more about the programme here.

UPDATE:

Do I tell you or not, if you haven't seen the programme?  Well, I'm bursting so I have to!   The two lynx Dasher and Briansk (not sure if I've spelt their names correctly) were released in the stunning Khakassia State Reserve, Siberia, deep in the Siberian wilderness, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one to have tears falling down my face at the sight of Briansk gingerly stepping into unknown territories and taking uncertain looks around him before heading off away from his rescuers.  The park is patrolled by rangers and it's a very remote area indeed - you don't see any signs of people at all. 

The footage of the lynx kittens was gorgeous, with their beautiful faces and inquisitive natures.   If you haven't seen the programme, please take a look!