Animal life ( from Chad, Lake )
Visitors to the medieval kingdom of Kanem in the Lake Chad region described an abundance of wildlife; until the early 20th century essentially the same faunal assemblages were reported. Since then, however, habitat loss, hunting, and direct competition from livestock have depleted wildlife populations. As with vegetation, the trend is toward decreased diversity and lower levels of biological productivity. Large carnivores, including lions and leopards, have been eliminated in livestock areas; and other large animals such as the rhinoceros and hippopotamus have been reduced or eliminated. Nocturnal species have been less affected by these changes; and some, particularly rodents, have benefited from them. Hundreds of species of birds reside permanently or seasonally in the Lake Chad region. Included are prominent terrestrial birds such as the ostrich, secretary bird, Nubian bustard, and ground hornbill and the water and shore birds for which the region is famous such as the garganey, shoveler, fulvous tree duck, Egyptian goose, pink-backed pelican, marabou stork, glossy ibis, and African spoonbill. Included among the amphibians and reptiles are the Nile crocodile, rock python, and spitting cobra. The Chad basin remains an important fishery, with more than 40 species of commercial importance. Also noteworthy are such ancient species as the lungfish and sailfin.
[tags]animals, lake, chad, life[/tags]
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