Considerations of Wildlife Resources and Land Use in Chad

摘要

Chad is one of the larger countries in Africa and contains deserts, mountains, shrub steppes, savannas, forests, lakes, and wetlands. This array of habitats originally supported one of the most unique and diverse faunas in Africa. The ibex, oryx, addax, Barbary sheep, kudu, wild ass, eland, buffalo, rhinoceros, elephant, and many kinds of antelope ranged in the rich Chadian habitats, along with the lion, cheetah, leopard, and many smaller mammalian species. Many populations of the larger mammals were decimated between 1960 and the present during the civil unrest that followed Chad's independence from France. Civil war destroyed the stability of human life and traditional practices and values. Transportation and weapons, acquired for combat, enabled harvest of wildlife for food and profit. Poaching, overharvest of fish and wildlife, drought, and disease greatly reduced numbers of animals.