Bush Meat Trading in the Oban Hills Region of South-Eastern Nigeria: Implications for Sustainable Livelihoods and Conservation

A year long markets survey of bush meat trade and consumption was organized to assess the volume and components of bush meat trade in the Oban Hills region of Cross River State, Nigeria with the specific objectives to determine (types and kinds) or species of animals (especially primates) involved in the bush meat trade and investigate their sources, quantity, prices and trends in trade as well as seasonal variations in bush meat (primate) supplies and order to determine their implications for sustainable livelihoods and conservation while creating awareness on need for sustainable harvesting and conservation of wildlife among the operators of bush meat trade and consumptive activities. Reconnaissance surveys, intensive dry and wet season markets survey using formal and informal investigative carcass examination and bargaining to inspect and price bush meat. Results show that bush meat trade is growing at an alarming rate with increasing number of hunters and traders, driven by profit motive and destructive consequences on the population of all categories of vertebrate fauna including endangered species. The paper calls for the adoption of the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) of the United Nations by Nigerian government to safeguard the sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity of the nation. Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 1 (1) 2008: pp. 70-8

A Survey of African Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) Trade and Trafficking in

Intensive field based African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) trade and trafficking survey lasting 14 days was undertaken on the request of the Pheasant Conservation Group; International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), to determine the existence or non-existence of parrots trapping, trade and trafficking in the Ikpan Forest Block of Oban group of forest, Nigeria. The surveys which identified and involved occupational parrots' trappers as guides was pursued with a view to identifying Nest sites, Nest density, Parrot roosts as well as investigate parrots trapping, trade and trafficking in the light of Nigeria's biodiversity conservation policy thrust and the country's continued notoriety in the international conservation arena . Studies were conducted using standard field equipment like binoculars, photo camera, vinyl flagging, field camping equipment as well as protective wears. 5 occupational Parrot trappers (2 experienced and 3 trainees) were identified and recruited for the surveys as field guides, field assistants and porters. From the results, 5 trappers' stations were identified and explored and located on existing map. Practical trapping activities were observed and implements employed identified. Parrot catch per Man-day was 8 (range 4-12) and price per wild adult parrot N2000, range (N2500-4500) while trained parrots costs N5000 (range N10, 000 - 15,000). During the surveys 16 parrots were captured while 50 parrots (range 110 - 160) were seen flying overhead especially at dusk. It was discovered that trade and trafficking in parrots existed in the study area and beyond with birds coming in from various localities and sold at major cities of Calabar, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja and Kano. Ineffective wildlife legislations have contributed to escalating illegal trade and trafficking in parrots which are protected by states and national laws. Effective legislation, monitoring, habitat protection and conservation education are recommended for sustainable biodiversity conservation in Nigeria.Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies of Management Vol. 1 (2) 2008: pp. 68-7

People’s perceptions of crocodiles in Nigeria

Throughout Africa, feelings towards crocodiles vary according to the danger or fear experienced by communities living alongside them. Crocodile conservation programs must therefore be based on reliable assessments of cultural attitudes towards these reptiles. In this study, we interviewed a random sample of 300 persons in six states in southern Nigeria to determine their perception of crocodiles. Our results revealed that most respondents were very familiar with crocodiles, animals being regularly sighted but only in small numbers. Most interviewees were aware of just two crocodile types, consistently describing the dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) and the West African Nile crocodile (Crocodylus [niloticus] suchus); only a minority of respondents reporting they were aware of the West African slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus)

State of knowledge of research in the Guinean forests of West Africa region

© 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. The Guinean forests of West Africa (GFWA) region is of highest conservation value in Africa and worldwide. The aims of this review are to systematically identify and collate studies focusing on the environment in the region. We found that, after Google Scholar search, in over 112,000 results for 17 disciplines, three countries (Nigeria, Cameroon and Togo) were subjected to much more investigations than the other countries. Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone were the least studied countries, and overall there was a significant West to East increasing trend for all seven considered disciplines (Ecology, Zoology, Botany, Conservation biology, Pollution, Climate change and Ecological economy) in terms of number of results. Within 'Ecology' 'macroecology and biodiversity' was the most studied subdiscipline. Baseline taxonomic studies in 'Zoology' and 'Botany' received little interest, particularly in 2006-2016. For 'Conservation biology', studies focusing on 'protected areas' were more numerous than for any other subsector, followed by 'biodiversity surveys'. Our analysis revealed that there were significantly more studies focusing on forests than on mangrove areas. Our results pointed out that, there is an urgent need for more rigorous taxonomical and fine-scale distribution studies of organisms across the whole region, not only for the traditionally overlooked groups (e.g. invertebrates). It is also stressed that studies of macropatterns in conservation biology research for the region should be performed by more reliable data at the more local scale, given the misuse that has been done by general studies of these limited/biased data for inferring patterns. Long-term longitudinal studies on biodiversity patterns of important forest sites and population biology of selected populations are urgently needed, as these have been almost entirely neglected to date. Crucial issues are still to be solved: for instance, it remains fully unresolved whether wildlife can best be protected through the promotion of human economic development or through integral conservation of important biodiversity areas

Predicting the structure of turtle assemblages along a megatransect in West Africa

Understanding large- and small-scale patterns as well as the determinants of species richness is central for the study of evolutionary mechanisms. The extent to which species richness in local communities is related to larger scale processes is a pre-eminent topic in ecological and evolutionary research. To investigate how local and regional species richness are related, we sampled freshwater turtle assemblages in seven localities to represent the variation in ecological conditions along a 90km South-North megatransect in Benin, West Africa. In each locality, all turtles captured were identified and measured, and microhabitat classified in which individual turtles were observed. Based on these data we used community diversity metrics to compare turtle assemblages. Spatial autocorrelation did not affect our data. For all localities pooled, only two species (Pelusios castaneus and Pelomedusa olivacea) were the most common, and one species (Trionyx triunguis) the rarest. Analyses of the commonest and more numerous species showed that the abundance of P. castaneus declined with an increase in latitude and longitude, but the opposite was true for P. olivacea. We showed that various microhabitat characteristics were significantly correlated with the abundance of the two common species. We found significant but variable South-North gradients in microhabitat use for different turtle species. Our results highlight the importance of studying interactions between local environments, the ecological requirements of each species, and their synecological relationships

Age-stratified interview campaigns suggest ongoing decline of a threatened tortoise species in the West African Sahel

Face-to-face interviews with local populations are often used to determine the distribution and population trends of elusive threatened species. Although interviewee responses may suffer from some bias, historical trends in the status of a species can be investigated from age-structured questionnaires. In this paper, we tested this idea by analysing separately answers given by older (> 60 years age) and younger respondents (25-44 years old) on the status of the African spurred tortoise, (Centrochelys sulcata), a charismatic large reptile listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. We interviewed 619 persons (hunters/farmers/cattle farmers) of different ages in three of the species’ habitat countries (Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria). Interviewees were asked whether in their experience the tortoise was common, rare or absent. By using Generalized Linear Models we showed that the probability to answer “common” increased with age in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, whereas the probability of responding “absent” declined with age in Nigeria and Niger. There were no significant effects of age for the answer 'rare' in any country and no differences were found between villages in any of the studied countries. From our data we conclude that spurred tortoises have been extirpated in 16.7% of study sites. We argue that if statistical differences emerge between answers given by respondents of various age classes on the population status of a target species, it is possible to conclude that the species’ situation may have significantly changed during the last 30-40 years

Microhabitat use and seasonality of the sexually dimorphic West African centaurus beetle Augosoma centaurus

The sexually dimorphic dynastine centaurus beetle, genus Augosoma (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae), is endemic to tropical Africa where two species are found (A. centaurus and A. hippocrates). These beetles are consumed by rural populations, cause damage in plantations and are targets of insect collectors and traders. We present information on size differences and analyzed intersexual niche divergence and seasonality of A. centaurus in seven study sites in three West African countries (Ivory Coast, Togo and Nigeria). We recorded 711 light-attracted and/or opportunistically encountered individuals, as well as another 97 beetles in standardized transect surveys. In the latter, we found the adult sex ratio was equal, but was significantly skewed towards females in light-attracted and/or opportunistically encountered individuals. In a sample of 298 adult beetles, males were significantly larger than females, with almost no size overlap between sexes. Beetle activity was highly seasonal with most animals observed in November, active from 19:00 h to 24:00 h. Differences in habitat use were not significant between sexes, with most individuals observed in secondary forest. Males were found higher on vegetation than females and beetles of both sexes were found on Pandanus and raffia palms. Beetles were larger in sites with more vegetation cover, and there was a significant effect of tree species on body size of both sexes. Study area or country had no effect on any of the studied parameters. Our study confirms that transect surveys without light trapping can be an effective tool for understanding large-sized tropical beetles of similar ecological characteristics

Understanding the influence of non-wealth factors in determining bushmeat consumption: results from four West African countries

The meat of wild animals (bushmeat) is consumed extensively in many tropical regions. Over the past few decades bushmeat consumption has greatly increased, threatening the survival of some hunted species and the supply of animal protein to countless numbers of people. Understanding patterns of bushmeat consumption is thus vital to ensure the sustainable use of this resource. Although the economic drivers of bushmeat consumption has been well studied, non-wealth correlates have been poorly considered. Here, we analyse how factors such as age and gender influence bushmeat consumption in four West African countries, within the Guinean forests (Togo and Nigeria) and Sahel (Burkina Faso and Niger). We interviewed a total of 2,453 persons (1,253 urban, 1,200 in rural areas) to determine frequency of consumption of bushmeat as well as main species eaten. We found significant differences in bushmeat consumption between rural and urban areas in all four countries. In particular, the proportion of persons not consuming any bushmeat was highest in urban areas. Gender differences in bushmeat consumption was not generally important but young people consistently avoided eating bushmeat, especially in Togo and Nigeria, and in urban areas. The complicated interplay between tradition and evolution of social systems (especially the trends towards westernization) may explain the different perceptions that people may have towards consuming bushmeat in the four studied countries. In addition, we found considerable variation in types of bushmeat eaten, with antelopes and large rodents eaten by the great majority of interviewees, but bats, monkeys, and snakes being avoided, especially in urban settlements

Clandestine Bushmeat Trade in Cross River State, Nigeria: Implications on Herp Diversity and the Environment

This paper surveyed the herp species traded in secret bush meat markets of Cross River State, with the view of assessing their conservation status and uses they are put to. The study mainly focused on six selected communities in Akamkpa Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross Rivers State, Nigeria – the host LGA of Oban section of the Cross River National Park. Data for the study were collected through Reconnaissance survey, Observation, and In - depth interviews. Through reconnaissance survey and personal interaction with local people who have good knowledge of Cross River State, secret bushmeat markets were identified and visited for familiarity. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics in form of frequency of counts and tables. Results showed that about nine herp species of international ecological concern in Cross River State as listed by CITES in either appendix I or II were secretly but continuously sold in Akamkpa LGA and neighbouring communities. Different categories of people including native doctors buy these species for both consumptive and non consumptive purposes. Among the traded endangered species in the study area were Bufo supereilliaris, Varanus niloticus, Kinixys erosa, Kinixys homeana, Python sebae, Calabaria reinhardtii, Crocodylus niloticus, Crocodylus cataphractus and Osteolaemus tetraspis. The fact that both Bitis gabonica and Python sabae were found in all the surveyed bushmeat markets in relatively high respective numbers of 31 and 22 is an indication that the species would soon go on local extinction if conservation laws are not effectively enforced. These also show that other endangered none herp species are being secretly traded on in the study area

Research NoteEstimation of browse biomass of Ficus thonningii, an indigenous multipurpose fodder tree in northern Ethiopia

Ficus thonningii is a multipurpose browse tree in northern Ethiopia. Despite its importance, techniques for quantifying its browsable biomass have not been developed. To develop best-estimation equations, the dendrometric parameters total height (H), crown height (CH), crown diameter (CD), diameter at stump height (DSH), diameter at breast height (DBH), crown depth (CDp), crown area (CA) and crown volume (CV) were measured from 12 sampled trees comprising three age ranges. Leaves and edible twigs of the sampled trees were clipped, oven dried, weighed and recorded as dry weight (DW). Regression analysis and a multicollinearity test were employed to remove non-significant predictors of DW. Results showed that only CV, CA, CD, CDp and DSH showed a strong correlation with DW. There was high collinearity between CD and CA, CD and CV, and CA and CV. However, CV and DSH had a higher correlation with DW than their counterparts, which suggested their use in the model. Therefore, the best allometric equation was: DW = 0.8470*CV − 0.2202*DSH − 1.5315 (R2 = 0.99). This equation estimated that F. thonningii produces a very high amount of browsable biomass at all ages compared to common fodder species. The model can be used to plan the browsing rate and understand the ecological role of the species.Keywords: allometry, indigenous fodder trees, TigrayAfrican Journal of Range & Forage Science 2012, 29(1): 25–3