Seacology Honors the King of Tonga
In a December 1995 meeting, Seacology Chairman Paul Cox and friend of the foundation, Fine Nau, met with His Majesty, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, Kingdom of Tonga to inform His Majesty that he had been chosen for the 1996 Indigenous Conservationist of the Year Awardee.
The King of Tonga has continued to protect and maintain what is possibly the oldest wildlife refuge in the entire world, the flying fox colony at Kolovai on the island of Tongatapu. The flying fox colony in Kolovai is extraordinary because the animals have absolutely no fear of people. As many as 600 flying foxes (Ptropus tonganus) can be seen at a time in their roost in the Casuarina trees that line the road through Kolovai village. The flying foxes are under absolute protection by the King and collectively represent one of the true wonders of the Pacific.
Tongan and Samoan legends both agree that the flying fox colony at Kolovai descends from a pair of flying foxes presented anciently to the Tongan monarch by Sina, the Princess of Samoa. The Kolovai flying fox colony therefore represents a tangible example of how indigenous cultures can protect precious wildlife and natural resources. During the audience with the King, His Majesty expressed his pleasure in accepting the honor bestowed on him by Seacology and reaffirmed his on-going commitment to wildlife and rain forest conservation.
