Contenu de l'article

Titre In Favor of Reintroducing the Niger Ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus) into the Aïr-Ténéré Reserve (Aïr-Niger massif)
Auteur Franck Giazzi, Isabelle Ciofolo, Karine Alvès, Accent Mondial
Mir@bel Revue Revue de Géographie Alpine
Numéro vol. 94, no 4, 2006
Page 17-25
Résumé anglais The last population of red-necked ostriches in West Africa was estimated at 1,600 individuals in 1990, in the Air and Ténéré Nature Reserve, Niger. This population, which was already threatened because of the loss of its habitat, was faced with severe poaching ending in extermination during the conflict that opposed Tuareg rebels and the Nigérien armed forces from 1992 to 1997. The relationship between man and ostrich is ancestral and dates back several centuries in Niger. Cave drawings in the Air region also exhibit the cultural dimension this animal played within Tuareg society. Even today, traditional use of a great number of this animal's ducts demonstrates the noteworthy economic role of the ostrich at the local level. Moreover, the Nigérien government has been reforming its development policy over the past several years. Environmental preservation and natural resource management are essential aspects of this policy. A project with the aim of reintroducing the ostrich in the Aïr region is therefore justified for both its safeguard and preservation role and for local development. These elements have helped us to define the main lines of a future project to reintroduce the ostrich into the Aïr-Ténéré Reserve.
Source : Éditeur (via Persée)
Article en ligne http://www.persee.fr/doc/rga_0035-1121_2006_num_94_4_5587