Afrinet Cameroon
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
AFRINET, is dedicated to conservation education in Bakossi National Park. The park is home to a diverse range of species, including Class A animals such as the Goliath Frog, Chimpanzee, and Pangolin, which require urgent protection.
Challenges and diagnosis.
AFRINET targets 36 frontline communities who carry out illegal activities in the Park. Poaching, Unsustainable fishing, harvesting of Bats, Goliath Frog and pangolin for food consumption and harvesting of backs of trees for traditional medicine are carried out in the Park communities. Except the Goliath Frog that is targeted for both food consumption and medicine, all other frogs are targeted for traditional medicine. Insufficient efforts are made to protect Class A animals such as the Goliath Frog, Chimpanzee and Pangolin. Frogs here are most vulnerable to protection than any other wildlife. Very few people advocate for their wellbeing. These categories A animals in IUCN red list needs greater attention. Rampant felling of trees has also destroyed the natural habitat of animals and ecosystem.
AFRINET carries out Conservation education in 20 villages in the North East and South East Clusters of Bakossi National Park, organizing meeting, raising awareness, anti poaching campaigns and advocacy meetings and workshop for
Key threats include:
AFRINET’s Conservation Education Initiatives
AFRINET actively promotes conservation awareness in 20 villages across the North East and South East Clusters of Bakossi National Park through:
Community meetings and awareness campaigns
To educate locals on the impact of illegal activities
Poaching (Animals)
Poaching is one of the most management issues that need greater attention in Bakossi-Banyang Mbo landscape. Despite efforts being made to fight poaching, the practice is yet to slow down. Poachers to Bakossi National Park and the Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary are not necessary from these to protected areas, but from neighboring villages surrounding the two protected areas. This makes it difficult to make out who is who? AFRINET is bent to fight poachers who smuggle themselves in the Park with the collaboration of (LCMCs) Local Collaborative Management communities members in communities and village Chiefs
Poaching (Frogs and Chameleons)
It is sad to mention that, reptiles and amphibians are vulnerable in Bakossi National Park since its creation in 2007. The Bakossi National Park is the home of different kind of Chameleons and frogs. The Goliath Frog (Conraua Goliath) already in Category A list of IUCN lives in Bakossi National Park. Unfortunately, it is hunted for economic reasons, consumption and traditional medicine. The abundant species of frogs are not known because intensive research has not been carried out. Only traditional doctors who use them for traditional medicine are able to only recognize the ones they use.
PARTNER WITH US
AFRINET encourages partnership with any organization that protects reptiles and amphibians to lend support for their survival.
Unsustainable Harvest of NTFPs
Harvesting of (NTFPs) Non Timber Forest Products and traditional medicine is another major challenge. Harvesters clean backs of trees unsustainably which ends up killing the trees of course without replacement. Same applies to felling of trees. This encourages lots of destruction of the natural habitat where animals can no longer enjoy the natural environment. Animals that cannot find their natural habitat easily fall prey to poachers and caught without strain.
AFRINET therefore make multipurpose nurseries. NTFPs seeds of various kinds are collected and raised n the nurseries. Though there is remarkable improvement, much needs to be done to reduce poverty which causes villagers to go to the forest.
Unsustainable Harvest of NTFPs
Felling of trees for sale and construction, coupled with unsustainable harvesting of NTFPs in the area is the main cause of deforestation. Encroachment caused by farmland extension is not left behind. The numbers of some important species of trees are on the decline. Replacement made is insignificant compared to the number extracted per year.
It is hoped 2025 will see tree planting taken more seriously than before with the support from partners with whom we are in discussion.
Endangered Species of animals
Some endangered and endemic species found in Bakossi National Park not limited by include:
| Bay Duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis) |
| Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola) |
| Red Forest Duikers (Cephalophus spp) |
| Red River Hog(Potamochoerus porcus) |
| Chimpanzee(Pan troglodytes) |
| Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) |
| Putty- nosed monkey(Cercopithecus nictitans) |
| Bush buck (Tragelaphus scriptus) |
| African Civet (Viverra civetta) |
| Mona monkey(Cercopithecus mona) |
| Tree Hyrax (Dendrohyrax dorsalis) |
| Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei) |
| Long- tailed Pangolin (Manis tetradactyla) |
| Goliath Frog (Conraua Goliath) |
