LANGOUE - IVINDO NATIONAL PARK
For more information:
www.wcs.org
In 1999, an ecologist named Michael Fay led an intrepid team of explorers on a 15 month, 12,000 mile journey through the wilds of 13 connected forests in Gabon. The team gathered reams of ecological data as they trekked through one of the planet's most pristine wildernesses. They encountered forest gorilla, elephants, and chimps as they utilized trails cleared by roving resident wildlife. They found huge clearings made by elephants where many animals gathered to enjoy the sun. One of these clearings, called Langoue, was about 100 acres in size and had trails radiating out for miles around.
Fay concluded that Langoue and the surrounding areas in Central Gabon were in need of protection as they represent one of the last truly wild places on Earth. Unfortunately, these areas have been divided up by timber companies with logging rights. Michael Fay's plan is to negotiate as many as 600,000 of these acres back to the public by working with the Gabonese government and raising money through donations (projected cost: $3.6 million). The Gabonese government has given the go ahead to Fay and the Wildlife Conservation Society to raise the funds, negotiate back the logging rights, and form the Langoue-Ivindo National Park. The Oakland Zoo's campaign in support of the project has raised $4,375 to purchase 729 acres for the park.
For more information:
www.wcs.org
