SANCTUARIES.

Forest and Bird, Issue 31, 1 October 1933, Page 13

SANCTUARIES.

The question is often asked, “What is the good of sanctuaries if people cannot go on them?” The answer is that such areas are set aside for the preservation of our priceless flora and fauna and not as playthings for the scientist or to satisfy the curious or as picnic grounds The idea behind the sanctuary scheme is that the birds thereon will increase and multiply to such an extent that they will overflow and thus re-populate other areas where they are not so numerous. To attain this object it is necessary, however, that equal sympathy and care should be observed towards bird life in the less bird populated areas as is aimed at on sanctuaries. Conservation is based mainly on conditions, and these can be always improved by the elimination of all exotic enemies to forest and bird life, such as deer, goats,, thar chamois, and the like, .together with cats, weasels, rats, etc. Given the right public mind, all New Zealand can be made one sanctuary. Fancy tuis, pigeons and bell-birds in one’s back yard. Not an impossibility, because some people have them there now.