The MMNR’s reputation as one of the most
outstanding wildlife areas in Africa is primarily due to the
exceptional
natural resources that the area contains, most
notably high densities of easily visible wildlife,
especially
the year-round presence of large predators and the
“Big Five”, and the annual large mammal
migration.
The conservation of these natural resources and
the ecological integrity of the area for posterity is the
primarily
function of the National Reserve, and one of the
most important duties of the area’s management.
As
such, one of the central guiding principles of
this programme, and indeed the entire plan, is to ensure that
the
area’s natural resources are not undermined
either by illegal activities (through, for example, poaching
or
livestock incursions) or inappropriate legal
activities (such as tourism developments and visitor use). In
addition,
it is also vital to ensure that management
activities themselves (including the implementation of
this
plan, and in particular any infrastructure
developments) do not harm or negatively impact on the very
values
that the Reserve has been established to protect,
and upon which the reputation of the area and its
long-term
economic sustainability
depend.
