the brown pelicans of the Gosier threatened with extinction

In Guadeloupe, pelicans have almost disappeared. “The birds have really deserted the site (…) where the animals came to spend the night or rest during the day”, explains Béatrice Ibéné, president of the Association for the preservation of wildlife. In Gosier (Guadeloupe), until 2017, a cliff sheltered the first colony of brown pelicans in the region, with up to 117 nests and hundreds of chicks. The pelican, called “big throat”, even gave its name to the city.

Deemed too noisy, the pelicans were chased away. “The colony left this site mainly because of actions that were committed by local residents, who could not bear that these birds were so close to them”, says Béatrice Ibéné. Brown pelicans are protected by ministerial order, but not their nests. Guadeloupe National Park, located on an island that no one can approach, is home to these birds. “Since 2015, the number of pelicans has increased every year”notes Xavier Delloue, head of the marine center of the Guadeloupe national park.