At 09.22 06-06-97 +1100, you wrote:
Dear Susan Mayers
I spent 14 days in Taman Negara in 1983. I wonder how the place looks like
today. It was very birdy 15 years ago. At that time the park was threatened
from a Dam Project and a road. When I went up from Jerantut there was
primary forest all the way along the banks of the Kula Tahan River during
the 3 hour boat trip. The huts were free of people and Bat Hawks was hunting
bats outsite the Chalets. In the forest birds were tame and Black Panther
could be observed from the remote overnight huts.I got a good view on one.
Both species of fish eagles were patrolling over the river. Otters could be
seen everywhere and our mammal list was actually quite impressive, we
recorded 23 species of mammals and almost 300 species of birds. Other people
saw Tiger, but I missed. How is the place today. I have heared it is crowded
with tourists and new accommadation has been esablished. Dismayed to hear
that they want to build a golf course in this magnificent sanctuary. Time is
certainly running out for our great wildlife in our mad obsession of rotten
development and economic growth. Hurry up everybody, and do as much
travelling as possible!. Take a loan in the house, sell it, sell the car and
go! We may only have 10 years left before the massive mega extinction of
birds take place. My prediction is that 2000 birds will be extinct within
the next 15 years. Bildlife is far too optimistic. I am travelling as crazy,
and I do not regret it.
Niels Dreyer
> Dear Rohan,
>It seems to me that there are a number of issues involved
>here.Firstly,the amount of input from an environmentalist such as
>mentioned above would surely not be cheap so there must be the willpower
>(and the money)present to make such a course bird-friendly.My guess is
>that this would invariably be lacking.Secondly,the amount of wildlife on
>a given golf course would depend on the type of habitat it was
>surrounded by,ie.a course in the middle of a rainforest would be totally
>devoid of any fauna,I think(this is pure supposition).I've heard rumours
>of plans to build one either in or next to Taman Negara!The pigs and
>Sambar deer would love it,but not much else.Thirdly, I don't see how
>building more golf courses in a place like Japan could possibly be
>justified no matter how "friendly' they make it.Any intact forest in
>Japan is rare as hen's teeth and there are already literally thousands
>of courses in this small,overdeveloped country-yet planning continues
>apace!Here in Australia we don't seem to be going too crazy as far as
>building courses and there are many controls in place.However this is
>possibly not the case in many countries that may also feel pressure to
>encourage tourism.
>Regards,
>Susan Myers
>
>
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