1980/04/01 by John Newby · 2 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Animal Diversity and Health Studies #Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology #Evolution and Paleontology Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s0030605300024662
openalex publication_date 1980/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Very few reserves exist to protect the arid-lands fauna of West Africa, particularly in the sub-desert zone, and the large mammals, such as addax, scimitar-horned oryx and dama gazelle are disappearing. New reserves are planned but they could be too late. Many permanent waterholes have been dug, and the nomads (and their livestock) tend to stay near them, depriving the wild animals of their traditional dry-season haunts. Firearms have made hunting easier, and the slow-running desert animals cannot compete with motor vehicles – many die of heat exhaustion, calves are abandoned in the chase and unborn young aborted. Rational utilisation of wildlife could be of immense benefit to the people, but protection is the first priority. To achieve this FPS and PTES have launched an appeal for the scimitarhorned oryx.