This month saw the first-ever Wildlife Identification and Conservation Education Workshop for hunters from villages surrounding the Ebo forest in Cameroon. We invited 14 of the 28 hunters from Locndeng village, at the northern edge of the Ebo, to travel to the coastal town of Limbe for a 2-day workshop covering topics such as wildlife species identification, levels of legal protection for different species, and the reasons for and importance of conserving the wildlife of the Ebo forest. Limbe is home to the Limbe Wildlife Centre, a sanctuary for orphans of the bushmeat trade run by the Pandrillus Foundation.

CRES established the permanently-manned Ebo Forest Research Station in the heart of the Ebo forest in April 2005, and we now employ six ex-hunters from four local villages as research assistants. Our research station is very remote: a tough 8- to 10-hour trek from Locndeng. All of our food and scientific equipment has to be carried by these hunters to the research station on a fortnightly basis, and through this long-term commitment to the village we have grown to know the hunters and their families intimately.

Locndeng is also several hours’ trek from a large village where shared taxis are available twice a week to take villagers to and from the main city of Douala. However, transport is very expensive, and there are people who have not ventured out of their village for many years. It was a significant step for these young men to have their transport and lodging paid to be able to visit Limbe, and I was desperate to make sure that their visit would be a success and that they both enjoyed the workshop and took home with them some important messages.

The hunters and their village Chief, Nguille Emmanuel, arrived exactly on time for the start of the workshop. They were given a series of interactive talks and discussion by the staff of CRES and the Limbe Wildlife Centre. Many of the hunters felt that the guided tour of the facility (pictured above), where orphaned animals of the bushmeat trade are housed, was the highlight of the workshop, and I can honestly say that there were moments when I was close to tears, seeing the flicker of compassion in the eyes of young men who had never previously watched chimpanzees playing, gorillas grooming each other, and drill mothers cradling their babies. (Read Bethan’s blog, Soso’s Story.)

As I have found is often the case in a society with little formal education and where reading and writing is far from universal, the day was characterized by heated discussion, considered debate, roaring laughter, and the wonder of learning completely new concepts that I all too often take for granted in my life. The ‘hunting debate’ saw the men split into two camps, one role-playing the hunters, the other the conservationists. The debate was fascinating and the men obviously loved it. I again found myself becoming emotional, hearing a hunter, who only months ago I’d seen butchering more than ten Preuss’ guenons, arguing vociferously that the forest and animals are part of their heritage and that hunting should be restricted to the fast-reproducing rodents and other small mammals.

The second day was a tour of Limbe and surrounding farms to provide ideas, suggestions, and discussion about alternative income-generating activities that the men could be carrying out in Locndeng. A local pig farmer was delighted to be able to show the men how to rear pigs and other domestic animals. While local conditions are key, the hunters came out of the workshop not only discussing hunting issues but also alternative ways to provide a long-term sustainable income for their families.

The end of the workshop was marked by a quiz with prizes. The questions were mostly based around pictures of animals, and the hunters could respond in Banen (their native language) or in French. The winner, Jean-Jacques, a quietly-spoken young man I have known for five years and who regularly carries our tinned sardines and rice supplies to our research station, was beaming as he received his prize of $10 and a San Diego Zoo T-shirt. All participants earned a certificate of attendance and a specially-made waterproof booklet repeating in simple French all the information that they had been given.

It remains to be seen whether our first workshop is a success; the real indicator would be a reduction in hunting of endangered and large mammal species we concentrated on in the workshop. I will go to Locndeng on Monday to spend time with the hunters in their homes, chatting to them informally and trying to see if they have any follow-up questions and if there is any sign of change. I have been here long enough to realize that change takes time and effort, and our efforts to educate and encourage villagers to improve their daily lives is vitally important to conserve the Ebo forest region, one of the most biodiverse and beautiful forests remaining in Cameroon.

Dr. Bethan Morgan is a Conservation Research Fellow for the San Diego Zoo’s CRES.
Here’s more information about Bethan’s project in Cameroon.

Read Bethan’s previous blog, A Visit to Nigeria.

Posted in Default, Conservation, Field Studies, CRES (Conservation and Research for Endangered Species), General | Link to this post

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