Gabon Preserves 10 Percent of Land for Parks NEW YORK, New York,
September 5, 2002 (ENS) - A full 10 percent of the land mass of
the African country of Gabon will be set aside for a system of
national parks, the nation's government announced Wednesday.
Gabon, which had no national park system until this week,
contains some of the most pristine tropical rainforests on
earth, home to gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants and a
host of other wildlife. The Gabonese government has been working
closely with New York based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
on conservation issues for the past 10 years. The conservation
group, based at the Bronx Zoo, calls Gabon's announcement a
major victory for Africa's wildlife. "This is one of the most
courageous conservation acts in the last 20 years," said Dr.
Steven Sanderson, president and CEO of the WCS. "President Bongo
has set a new standard for wildlife protection in Central Africa
- one that we hope other nations will follow." According to
Gabon's President El Hadj Om