Gertruide Dalila Massoh
Local extinction of African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) populations is currently underway inside and outside conservation areas, due to persecution, diseases, habitat loss, and prey depletion. Internationally, the population of this species in Cameroon is thought to be extinct, with the possibility of the existence of small isolated, and remote populations. African wild dog has received considerable research efforts in other parts of the world, but in Cameroon, this species remains understudied. Yet, the African wild dog is currently categorised as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. In the Adamawa Region, only indirect signs through questionnaire surveys and assumed signs online transect have been reported. No other traceable evidence on the occurrence of wild dogs and their distribution are known in the Tchabal Mbabo mountain range, which limits conservation efforts.
Given the threats faced by this species across its home range, there is an urgent need to document their presence and habitat selection to avoid the extirpation of population which is not yet discovered. Providing evidence of the presence of this mammal in the Tchabal Mbabo area will help decision-makers and wildlife managers to take good decisions to conserve this animal.
This project aims to:
(1) Assess the local knowledge of African wild dogs among the local communities as well as the potential threats to this species due to cohabitation with humans.
(2) Confirm the presence evidence of the African wild dog species occurring in the Tchabal Mbabo mountains range using camera traps.
(3) Developing a distribution map of this large carnivore’s species population in the study areas for a long-term monitoring system.