Attitudes and perceptions as threats to wildlife conservation in the Bakossi area, South west Cameroon (original) (raw)
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Environmental Conservation, 2003
In recent years, wildlife policies that consider the participation of stakeholders have been promoted. An understanding of the stakeholders' attitudes towards conservation and existing policies are critical in designing new policies or sustainable conservation strategies. This paper examines stakeholders' (local people, park staff and professional hunter guides) attitudes, towards the Bénoué Wildlife Conservation Area (BWCA) and towards Cameroonian wildlife policy. The BWCA encompasses the Bénoué National Park and its surrounding hunting concessions that also include some villages. Both the Park and the hunting concessions are two categories of protected areas. Data were collected using informal interviews and questionnaires administered to 114 households from three communities, 17 park staff and seven professional hunter guides. Local people's attitudes towards protected areas depended on the management category of the particular protected area. Local people were positive towards the existence of the Park, but negative towards the system of hunting concession areas. There was local variation between communities concerning these attitudes. Local people were generally positive to maintaining the present Park area, but preferred a reduction in the size of the hunting concessions. Both Park staff and professional hunter guides expressed concern about present management strategies and the extent of illegal resource exploitation. Despite having poor knowledge of the current Cameroonian wildlife policy, most of the local households expressed support for it, but called for increased local involvement in management, off-take and the harvesting of benefits from both Park and hunting concession activities. The Park staff were sceptical about local participation in this context and saw such endeavours as a threat to a sound biodiversity management scheme. The findings indicate the need to strengthen current wildlife policy, promote the involvement of local people and empower the Park staff, both in terms of resources and in terms of skills in interacting with local people. The revised policy should be designed so as to vary according to the category of protected area and allow site-specific adaptations. Local people must experience reduced incurred costs and increased incomes from the Park. An environmental education programme is recommended to extensively disseminate the policy to user groups in the area.
Acta Oecologica, 2019
This Paper examines how people's livelihoods and perceptions of wildlife are related to self-reported poaching (here defined as commercial bushmeat hunting) in 25 villages at the northern buffer zone of the Dja Biosphere Reserve, East Cameroon. Using a six-point Likert scale questionnaire among 263 households interviewed form March to June 2017, the following hypothesis were tested: (1) Households with positive perceptions of wildlife are less involved in poaching; (2) Positive perceptions of wildlife are linked to sustainable livelihood improvement of households; and (3) Sustainable livelihood improvement of households leads to poaching alleviation. The study area has been the site since 2010 for a community-centered conservation Program that aims to improve local people's livelihoods (through the creation of income sources based on cocoa-based agroforestry and Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) Valorization) and their perceptions of wildlife (mainly through awareness raising and wildlife education) and therefore divert them from poaching. The main findings of the study indicates that positive perceptions of wildlife are linked to lower levels of poaching. Similarly, positive perception of wildlife was positively related to Livelihood improvement of the respondents. However, livelihood improvement alone did not predict poaching alleviation though we reported a significant difference in poaching frequencies of cocoa and non-cocoa producers with the firsts less involved in poaching. The findings of this study recommend more holistic approaches of biodiversity conservation that integrate simultaneously perception and livelihood improvement.
The present study aims at documenting on the uses of wildlife by the LowerOban clan around the Nkwende Hills Forest Reserve (NHFR). Structured interviews were realised in 126 randomly chosen households in seven villages. We recorded the use of 52 species constituted of 26 mammals, 12 bird groups, eight reptiles, five fishes and one invertebrate. Four wildlife use categories were identified. Species like Ogylbi’s and blue duikers, African grey parrots, Pythons, Mud suckers and Electric catfish are the most traditionally used. Species like Leopards and Chimpanzees are locally extinct and seemed to be replaced by other species to perform the same traditional ceremonies. High priority should be given to the conservation of species with high values for local communities.
People's Perception on Wildlife conservation.pdf
This study aimed at examining local people's knowledge and perceptions of wildlife conservation in southeastern Zimbabwe. Data were collected between October and November in 2012 using a purposive sampling approach of households (n = 114) in communities adjacent to Gonarezhou National Park. Our results show that local people were aware of the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) and Gonarezhou, and their associated purposes. However, our results suggest that local people had inadequate knowledge about the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) and its purpose. Moreover, mixed perceptions about the impact of the GLTFCA on local livelihoods and conservation in the study area were recorded. Finally, the results indicated that improving park-community relationships, education and awareness programmes on natural resources conservation could assist in raising the status of conservation in Gonarezhou and GLTFCA.
In many traditional societies, beliefs and taboos influence human behaviour towards the natural environment. Such beliefs and taboos are informal institutions where norms rather than official laws determine land use and nature protection in general and wildlife in particular. The present study on beliefs and taboos of the people of the northern periphery of the Korup National Park is an attempt to reveal how norms influence their relation to the environment. A total of 195 households were sampled through a household survey conducted in four villages. The results revealed that before the application of “modern” approaches for wildlife protection and management, the people relied on norms to establish a relationship with wildlife and nature. The enactment of the 1994 legislation on forest, wildlife and fisheries resulted in stiff resistance as it contradicts traditional norms. It was found that 57.4 % of the respondents still perceive wildlife as a resource that can never get extinct....
Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 2018
Studies have demonstrated that wildlife conservation success depends on local people's attitudes toward wildlife. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 240 respondents living in five villages outside the southwestern Rungwa Game Reserve (RGR). Results revealed 89% of the respondents were aware of wildlife conservation, and their awareness varied with age, education, immigration status, and distance to the protected area (PA). Factors influencing the attitude of local people toward wildlife in the area included age, distance to the PA, education level, and sources of income. Depredation and crop damage negatively influenced people's attitudes toward problem animals. For effective conservation, the attitudes of local people toward wildlife need to be considered. This conservation will be achieved through timely compensation schemes, the involvement of the local people in conservation planning, and the provision of education programs about sustainable conservation.
Journal of Biodiversity & Endangered Species, 2017
The study was conducted in Harenna Forest between March and June, 2016, with the objectives of assessing the conservation opportunities and local community attitudes towards wildlife in the communities. Questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. A total of 340 respondents were included for household questioner by systematic random sampling method while 11 respondents were purposively selected and for an in-depth interview survey. The data revealed that in terms of the opportunities of wildlife conservation, respondents' responses mostly agreed for the existence of benefit sharing between locals and government (50%), presence of conservation organizations (89.7%), local communities are well aware and keen on wildlife (68.9%), community participation to conserve wildlife (78.5%), full sense of ownership towards the forest and wildlife (74.2%), management programmes implementation (78.6%), high priority of government bodies for conservation (89.1%) and an education and awareness creation program (74.1%). Out of the total respondents, 19 (5.59%) opposed the existing wildlife conservation systems, while 317 (93.23%) supported. Despite these existing wildlife conservation opportunities, wildlife continue to be threatened in and around the Harenna forest through overgrazing by livestock, firewood collection, settlement and agriculture expansions and wildfires. In addition, local community pays less attention to conservation of forest and wild animals. This study therefore, recommend that, enhancement awareness creation programme and involvement of local people in the participation of wildlife in Harenna Forest Conservation Area.
Environmental Conservation, 1999
In recent years there has been a proliferation of projects aiming to integrate human development needs with conservation objectives, and to establish mutually beneficial relationships for the management of natural resources between rural communities and the state. This paper presents data from a case study of human-wildlife interactions in villages along the northern boundary of the Selous Game Reserve in south-east Tanzania. Since 1989, this area has been the site of a project working to promote community wildlife management (CWM). Questionnaire survey data were used to examine villagers' conservation attitudes towards wildlife, the Game Reserve, and the activities of the CWM project and state wildlife management authority. Despite local support for the conservation of wildlife, many respondents were either unaware or held negative views of the activities of the wildlife management institutions. Logistic regression analyses show that while access to game meat from the CWM proje...
International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation, 2017
Human activities that affect wildlife and their habitats are pervasive and increasing. Understanding the effects of humans on wildlife populations, as well as devising strategies to ameliorate these effects, is an increasing challenge for resource managers. Commitment of local communities to protected areas is also essential for conserving biodiversity, but little is known about local people attitudes toward biodiversity conservation. Therefore, this paper provides an empirical assessment of local people activities and their attitudes that affect wildlife and their habitats around Chebera Churchura National Park, Ethiopia from 2012 to 2014. Nine villages around the park were selected for this study. A total of 354 households were selected randomly for interview. A semi-structured questionnaire survey, focus group discussions and direct field observations were carried out in the nine selected villages. Among the various human activities recorded, firewood collection, bushfires setting fire, hunting, livestock grazing and farming were having great impacts on biodiversity conservation in the Park. Among the respondents, 51.2% reportedly used the park for livestock grazing, 50.2% for firewood and fodder collection, 15.6% for wild honey and spices collection, 23.1% for timber, 2.6% for wild meat and 2% for farming in and along the boundaries of the Park. Most respondents had positive attitudes towards the conservation of wildlife. A combined strategy aimed at improving local participation in wildlife conservation initiatives, initiation of public education and awareness campaigns and provision of alternative sources of income for the local people will reduce the threat, and contribute to improve conservation of wildlife in Chebera Churchura National Park.
International Journal of Current Research in Biosciences and Plant Biology, 2016
There has been rampant encroachment on Cameroons protected forest landscapes in the last few years. This has resulted to the loss of substantial parts of the forest cover through cultivation for agriculture, settlements, charcoal processing, logging and hunting. The principal target group for this research was the local forest community in and around Tubah Upland Forest who wrestle their living from this forest. The data collection involved an oral interview and questionnaire administration. The results showed that Gender and the awareness of wildlife laws in Tubah region correlated significantly (r 2 =0.726 at p<0.05) gender. Also, the importance of forest resources had a significant correlation with solutions to wildlife conflict (r 2 =0.379 at p<0.05). In addition, the reason for settlement also had a significant relationship with organizations mitigating human-wildlife conflict (r 2 =0.863 at p<0.05) with NGO'S such as CIRMAD (The Care for Indigenous Resources Management and Development) working to raise conservation awareness in the area. Furthermore, the investigation on the importance of forest resources recorded 67.88% on forest exploitation. Edible plants rich in protein accounted for 16.57% in the survey. Moreso, the solutions to human-wildlife conflict also recorded 77.78%, confirming very little help is given to local people by the government authorities. Finally wildlife contact rate recorded 11.52%, 8.08%, 44.24%, and 36.16% respectively for very frequent, infrequent, frequent, and no contact rates. This survey revealed the importance of the corporation and integration of the local community in forest conservation decision-making.