For those studying primate behavior, there's nowhere better for field observation than the Tai National Park in the Ivory Coast, the largest remaining stretch of continuous rain forest in West Africa. In a country where commercial loggers and peasant farmers are steadily wiping out remaining forests, the park is a protected sanctuary for wild animals and plants that could soon disappear in other areas. But this sanctuary faces a growing danger not just from poachers finding easy targets in the abundant wildlife here, but even more seriously from expanding human settlements on the boundaries of the park. For people who desperately need more land to plant crops, the Tai forest looks like a vast and empty territory just waiting for the farmer's plow. In a poor developing country like Ivory Coast, it's hard for many to understand why a place like this should be protected.
People see no economic benefit.
And in the years to come, with an even bigger human population demanding more agricultural land, it might be politically impossible for any government to continue protecting this forest. The outlook might be brighter if the park attracted large numbers of tourists, but so far tourism is barely developed here. And there's no indication this park will ever generate enough earnings to satisfy skeptics. For now, the Tai forest is a source of unending discovery for scientists. Inc. All Rights Reserved.