Sanctuary

Our enemies besiege us
As aimlessly we roam
Wandering tired and hungry
Looking for a home

Once we could have travelled
To the valley nearby

But now that too has gone

We hold our heads and cry

Is there a place of shelter

Where we can carry on

And safely raise a family

In a place we call our own?

It is a terrible thing for an individual to be displaced with nowhere to go but for a species it is a tragedy. And it is happening everywhere. With relentless removal of habitat and hunting pressure it is now no longer possible for many displaced animals to find sanctuary in the untouched nearby forest.

When I was a child growing up in the mountains of Papua New Guinea Long Beaked Echidnas were common but they have now all but disappeared. The locals whilst acknowledging that they haven’t seen any for decades will invariably tell you that there are plenty in the next valley. And so it goes, valley by valley, with each group not particularly worried because there are plenty elsewhere. The trouble is elsewhere no longer exists.

It is very difficult to separate people from the forest that sustains their culture and livelihood. Much has been done in many parts of the world to develop sustainable forest use areas but there is also a place for true sanctuaries. Fully protected areas of critical habitat serving as sanctuaries for endangered wildlife! These areas will in fact be the reservoir areas for wildlife into the sustainable forest use areas where sustainable hunting is allowed. The reservoir areas not only protect species from extinction but will also sustain the heritage and culture of native peoples.

Australia is blessed with one of the best National and Marine Park systems in the world. These areas are of great ecological importance as well as supporting an economically important tourist industry. Similar parks can be found throughout the world but unfortunately many third world countries do not have the resources to properly manage their protected areas. These areas will always have poor biodiversity outcomes without proper funding and management. This in fact is the most urgent priority in many parts of the world.