CONSERVATION

Kupe Muanenguba Division which is one of the strong hold of AFRINET having three protected ecological zones with very high endemic species of both fauna and flora hardly to come by in Sub Sahara Africa. The Bakossi National Park National being one of them is the richest with touristic attractions like the Muanenguba twin lakes, Nyalle Rock, and a good variety to ecotouristic attraction

BIODIVERSITY OF BAKOSSI NATIONAL PARK

Bakossi National Park as a Biodiversity Hotspot

Plant Diversity

The botanists found 2,440 plant species: one in 10 species was new to science, 82 were strictly restricted to the area and 232 were threatened with extinction according to (IUCN) 2001

One of the most interesting of the newly discovered species is Kupea martinetugei (Triuridaceae), a new species of saprophyte that completely lacks photosynthetic tissue.

Zoological Diversity (Avifauna)

329 species of birds recorded on Mt. Kupe: 29 with restricted range species, confined to the Cameroon Mountains Endemic Bird Area, 18 occur on Mt Kupe, including the Mount Kupe bush- shrike (Malaconotus kupeenis) which is otherwise known only from neighbouring Bakossi Mountains (Dowsett-Lemaire and Dowsett 1999).

AFRINET works with the local population in villages around the park, providing sustainable and alternative methods to avoid deforestation, illegal hunting, river poisoning, forest burning, sustainable harvesting of (NTFP) Non Timber Forest Products. In this wise, AFRINET provide livestock farming, agricultural best practices, food transformation/conservation and arts and craft

Project for the Conservation of Pangolins

AFRINET has taken up the challenge to fight against the hunting of pangolins in the Bakossi National Park. We partner with Village Forest Management Committees (VFMCs) in four Conservation Clusters that make up the Bakossi National Park. Pangolins are hunted for their scales and bush meat consumption.

We Are Against Illegal Exploitation of Wildlife

AFRINET works with Local Communities Through Forest Management Committees in a number of Ways:

Promote livestock farming and beekeeping as an alternative to means to illegal hunting and unsustainable harvesting of (NTFPs) Non Timber Forest Products
Promote tree planting and agro forestry farming
Advocate and lobby traditional rulers in all villages around the park to institute traditional bans on river poisoning, trapping and deforestation practices
Organize and work with farmer groups to ensure food security
Promote the cultivation of NTFPs such as bitter kola, bush mango, bush onion etc.
Bush meat monitoring
Fight against illegal and unsustainable exploitation.

We offer assistants to Researchers carrying out research in diverse areas such as forest conservation and other areas. We also provide services to tourist like tour guides and much more.

AFRINET CAMEROON