Caves with Blind Fish

The objective of this work is, on the one hand, to contribute, correct and complete Leleup and Heuts (1954), on the other hand, to encourage scientists and international institutions of biodiversity conservation to get involved in the safeguarding of this heritage, and to put at the disposal of the decision makers, a set of data in order to reach their affective level, as to – the threats that these natural reserves with defined purposes, with scientific, aesthetic, cultural and educational value, special reserves, these caves characterized by the presence of blind albino fish, species of endemic fish, Caecobarbus geertsii; and – the concern to have some of these caves inventoried on the list of world heritage properties. For, to do nothing would lead ineluctably, in the more or less long term, to the loss of these ecosystems of great universal value. This manual is structured in three parts: the first part presents the state of the caves, the second deals with cave biodiversity and the third proposes an outline of the Mbanza-Ngungu Cave Biosphere Reserve.