Egbe Confidence Kedjuanji
Other projects
16 Jul 2018
Status of the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee and Other Endangered Primates and the Dynamics of Bushmeat Hunting at Ebo Forest Reserve, Cameroon
The aim of this study is to conduct a dry season survey to completely determine the Status of the Nigeria- Cameroon chimpanzee and other endangered primates and the dynamics of bushmeat hunting at the Ndokbou forest, North East of Ebo forest, Littoral Region, Cameroon.
Specific objectives of this study are:
• To understand how the current status of other threatened primates (in terms of their abundance, distribution etc.) relates to what is already known about the current status of chimpanzees at the Ebo Wildlife Reserve.
• To identify the physical and anthropogenic features determining distribution and nest site suitability.
• To identify the ecological and anthropogenic factors those determine chimpanzee abundance and group size, and the occurrence of nest sites.
• To determine the current dynamics and trends of bushmeat hunting at the Ebo Wildlife Reserve and how this relates to the current status of primate populations.
• To make recommendations based on research findings for the sustainable management of the Ebo Wildlife Reserve.
The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee is the most endangered chimpanzee in the world and is endemic only to two African countries, Nigeria and Cameroon (Morgan et al. 2011). Current knowledge of its population is scant and based mostly on rough estimates (Morgan et al. 2011). This subspecies of Ape is found in the Gulf of Guinea biodiversity hotspot located in western equatorial Africa (Morgan et al. 2011). Surviving only in forested habitats in southern Nigeria to western Cameroon, north of the Sanaga River. It is also the most recently recognized subspecies of the common chimpanzee and it has been estimated that there may be as few as 3,500 individuals living in the wild, hence, endangered (EN) (Morgan et al. 2011). Threats to its survival include; poaching, habitat loss, logging, illegal bush-meat trade, diseases, population fragmentation and climate change (Sesink Clee et al. 2015). To effectively manage and conserve this species and prevent its extinction, it is important to obtain reliable population estimates and identify major threats to its survival and in areas where it is known to occur, in order to prioritise strategies needed for their conservation (Kalan et al. 2016; Kamgang et al .2019; Morgan et al. 2011).With the current decline of these primate populations across Africa and at the Ebo forest, it has become increasingly important to achieve more accurate information about the impact of human activities on their status and treats.
In this project designed recce survey, interviews and questionnaires will be used to sample the primates’ diversity (species richness and abundance) and dynamics of bushmeat hunting respectively at the Ndokbou forest North East of Ebo forest and its surrounding communities. Understanding the reasons for these declines and how the dynamics of bushmeat hunting and trade have changed over time will be critical if solutions to the current conservation crisis are to be found and if wildlife populations are to be protected. The results will go a long way to upgrade IUCN red list status of chimpanzees and other less studied primates.This project will help produce detailed ecological, anthropogenic and bushmeat hunting study of chimpanzees at the Ebo-Ndokbou forest north East of Ebo forest that is widely considered to be one of the best areas for this species in Cameroon. Chimpanzees are classified by the IUCN as Endangered (IUCN, 2015)