Species protection

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Location:	Yaounde, Cameroon
Category:	Environment & Protection of Natural Resources
Published:	02 June 2008
Progress:	5% funded
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Rating:	12 Ratings

Our Organization is a swiss association and registrated, based and active in Cameroon. The most important part of our work refers to the education and awareness about the rain forest and the bushmeat problem as well as the use of natural resources itself.
The first and constant action of WPE deals with the education and the promotion of environmental awareness in schools. We establish "environmental education" in Cameroon schools.
A whole network of partnerships will be gradually activated. The communication and understanding among themselves and the understanding in dealing with nature, it has promoted sustained in children.
In addition we also started education projects with adults. We go in churches too.

To make sure everything will be fun for the pupils activities such as events, workshops, movies and visits in the zoo or in a tropical garden take place. These actions are associated with the search of forest seeds and the introduction of tree seeds as well as the care of young trees. Each child should has his tree to care to old age. We plant trees in schools with the children.

The plan is the purchase and upgrading of a vehicle as a rolling Multi Media Center to reach as many schools as possible.

Other activities are the promotion of pigs, chickens and fish farms for an adequate protein supply and thus the problem Bushmeat to defuse. The plan is furthermore an orphanage for wild animals, at specially primates and activities to promote an ecologically and socially acceptable tourism.

Donations are needed to maintain the projects on track. Helping people to help themselves is the concept to long-term donations to become independent.

by W. Heilmann, created on 28 September 2008 at 09:47 AM

Unfortunately the internet connections in Cameroon are not very good and I was unable to open the betterplace platform. In this days i found a better Cyber Cafe and things are working out well.

During the last few weeks we started our projects in Cameroon very succesful. Please read all about former reports at the WPE Homepage or the WPE Forum. Most of our reports are available in german language only. As soon as our financial situation is better we will get somebody for the office to do this work.

The last great apes

I am not your servant or your slave. I am not your research tool or your organ farm. My flesh is not your dinner or my bones are your aphrodisiac. My skin is not your luggage or your shoes. I am not your target or your prey and it is not my job to entertain you. I am like you, a unique impression of the soul. It does not matter wether you think my life is significant or beautiful, only that you know I am significant and beautiful to others of my kind.

Africa is the home of our closest relations. Unfortunately the days of the big apes are counted. The human species is in war with nature and dont let any chances for the big great apes to survive.

The western equatorial African rainforest is the home to two subspecies of great ape, the central chimpanzee and the western lowland gorilla. There are two species of gorillas found in the Congo Basin, the eastern gorilla divided into the eastern lowland gorilla and the mountain gorilla. The western gorillas are divided into the western lowland gorillas and the cross river gorillas. The cross river gorillas live in the mountainous regions of Cameroon and Nigeria. This is a forested and generally inaccesible area. There are about 10 subpopulations of cross river gorillas in this area, with an optimistic population estimate of not more than 300, although they may be as few as 150 gorillas left. The cross river gorillas have declined critically and is the most endangered ape in the world.

The main reason for the extinction of the big apes are the humans. The causual elements leading to the decline of this species are clearly man orientated. Hunting, farming, logging, habitat loss and fragmentation are identified as the main sources of the extinction of these animals. The use of snares is a threat for the apes as they inadvertently fall into these wires and come out, if they do, with serious injuries which often cause their dead. Another big danger already to the small Gorilla population is the Ebola Virus. Female Gorillas are able to reproduce their young ones only after every 4 years.

There are quite many national- and international projects that work to conserve great apes in this region and around the world but the continuing, rapid decline of great apes, and especially in Nigeria and Cameroon indicates that past efforts are not sufficient enough and much more is needed. There are many more finances necessary to support nature, reserves and nationalparks in order to pay rangers and all that. It is important to establish eco tourism and to build further orphanages for wild animals particular for the great apes.

WPE is actively working to protect rainforest and wildlife through the WPE Projects particular the environmental education in cameroonian schools.

www.wildplanetecoproject.org