BUSHMEAT HUNTING IN SOUTHEASTERN CAMEROON: MAGNITUDE AND IM PACT ON DUIKERS (Cephalophus spp.)

Abstract

Information regarding the hunting activities of local residents is essential for solving sustainability problems in afro-tropical forests. We studied bushmeat hunting in two Community Hunting Zones (CHZs 13 and 14) located in the northern periphery of Boumba-Bek National Park in southeastern Cameroon. We monitored 899.14 hunter-days in nine neighboring villages, over a period of 12 months. Animals were hunted in national parks and in logging and agroforestry zones. We recorded 587 carcasses of 38 species, for a total fresh biomass of 3.46 tons. Ungulates and primates were the most heavily hunted; however, the latter were primarily represented in CHZ 13, the zone with the most intensive hunting pressure. Reptiles and birds were fairly represented among offtakes (4.36%). Harvests varied considerably by species and CHZ. The blue duiker (41%) and the putty-nosed monkey (15%) were the most frequently captured. In contrast with the latter, the blue duiker was harvested at similar rates in all the villages, indicating its importance for local people. Hunters consumed 26.7% of their total catch with their families and sold 67.8%. The bushmeat trade, defined in terms of the proportion of animals sold, was positively correlated with the number of households. In both CHZs hunting was largely unsustainable for blue duikers. However, in CHZ 14 offtakes of red duikers were probably under sustainable harvest limit. Our analysis have implications for the development of adaptive wildlife management plans that could enhance sustainability in the region. Overhunting will not be solved, unless the bushmeat trade is tackled effectively.