Let's talk "wildlife"

It is a fact (although not commonly realized), that during the past 70 to 80 years, Africa’s large mammals decreased in numbers by more than 80% (some as high as 96%) and mainly due to human activity. In the rest of the world - the picture of wildlife survival is even worse! The earth can sustain ± 3 billion humans – presently there are already more than 6 billion humans with an estimated 10 billion by 2020!

This extraordinary human population explosion has caused an ever-increasing hostility between “man” and “beast” as they compete for the same dwindling resources. In the process, children are increasingly alienated from nature and today there is an urgent need for information that will encourage young people to understand the natural world and their relationship to it.

If knowledge of our environment and fellow species leads to respect, concern and compassion, the reverse can be true also.

Whether an individual respects, ignores, or harms other living creatures depends, to a large extend, on the kind of environment in which the child grew up – especially the attitudes of family, friends and teachers. Encouraging the natural curiosity of young people in their world, foster a sense of wonder and delight, and a corresponding sense of concern. Young people who are kind to and respectful of animals are likely to show more understanding in their relations with other humans as they grow up.

In this regard, our specific goal should be to address the above, i.e. to provide through conservation education the “tiny spark” that will cause “a mighty flame” of educated, informed and motivated conservationists – a generation that will treat all forms of life with respect, dignity and compassion – a generation that will not be self-destructive.

If we want to preserve and conserve our natural heritage, mankind needs to be educated: KNOWLEDGE changes ATTITUDES and informed people are conservation conscious people.

Only through education will man realize that nature conservation and wildlife management starts with the control and management of human population numbers and our destructive behaviour towards all other forms of life and our natural environment! NATURE too needs to be granted the "right to life" ...!