

Except for the Flying Fox fruit bat, Fiji has no naturally occurring land-living mammal and its wild life is otherwise made up of birds, reptiles and insects. Introduced species (such as the Mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus) have caused the extinction or serious decline of many birds and reptiles in Fiji, some of which may have never been known to man before their disappearance. New species are still being discovered in these rugged and isolated Islands and some of the greatest discoveries took place within the past 25 years:
1977: Bill Beckon discovered the Fiji Flying Fox Pteralopex acrodonta, Fiji's only endemic mammal, in the hills of Taveuni.
1979: John Gibbons discovered the Fiji Crested Iguana Brachylopus vitiensis on the remote Island of Yadutaba.
2003: Vilikesa Masibalavu of BirdLife International rediscovered the Long-legged Warbler Trichocichla rufa, a small bird from the Fijian island of Viti Levu, not seen since 1894 and previously feared extinct.
Pressure from man's constant expansion, pollution, deforestation and ignorance is having a negative impact on Fiji's fauna. The clearing of mangrove, cutting and burning of forest areas, polluting of rivers and streams and the increased use of chemicals, fossil fuels and non-degradable materials are not unique to Fiji. However, in a small Island nation such as this, the effects get magnified. Sufficient resources are not available to deal with the resultant problems. The result is an accelerated decline in wild life.
Preservation and protection of the wildlife of Fiji, through research and education, is Kula Eco Park's primary objective.
Kula Eco Park & The National Trust for Fiji.
Partners in conservation & education.

