VISITS BY WILDLIFE AUTHORITIES

Forest and Bird, Issue 149, 1 August 1963, Page 5

VISITS BY WILDLIFE AUTHORITIES

Several overseas authorities in wildlife conservation visited New Zealand during the twelve months ended 31 March, 1963, says the annual report of the Department of Internal Affairs.

These visits reflect serious concern in world conservation circles over man’s inability satisfactorily to safeguard many species of wildlife and their habitat while the human population continues to rise rapidly, says the report. As His Royal Highness the Prince of the Netherlands, president of the World Wildlife Fund, said : “All people of common sense are troubled about the obvious danger that the world will very soon lose manv of the wild

creatures and wild places in which we find pleasure and refreshment.” Visitors included Mr. I. MacPhail, campaigns director of the World Wildlife Fund, who had discussions with departmental officers and visited Mount Bruce native bird reserve; Mr. Gerald Durrell, well known author, who with his wife and two BBC television cameramen spent several weeks filming wildlife and conservation measures; Mr. Jan Strijbos, Dutch naturalist, who toured the country extensively, observing and filming plant and bird life; and M. Armand Denis, well known naturalist, who paid a short visit and may return to film wildlife. A large party of Australian members of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Union held their annual field outing in New Zealand, observing birds.