Financial values of bushmeat and effects of anthropogenic activities on mammal's species in the Douala-Edea National Park, Cameroon.

There is a continuous threat of wildlife in the African tropical rainforest as a result of anthropogenic activities, yet there is lack of baseline data on the sustainability of these activities. This study provides basic data on income from bushmeat, anthropogenic activities, and the abundance of large mammals in Douala-Edea National Park (DENP) Littoral Region, Cameroon. Questionnaires were administered to 336 respondents in 57 villages and 13 2-km transects were surveyed in July covering a total of 29 km. Bushmeat hunting provided income for 12.64% of respondents with more than half of the respondents selling their bushmeat in local markets. Royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus) (14,250 ± 1173) was the species of mammals sold at a higher price and the least price (2400 ± 9447) sold was tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis). Among the anthropogenic activities observed (N = 138 signs), illegal logging (23.26 signs/km) was the most common, followed by hunting (10.18 signs/km) and habitat degradation (9.29 signs/km) and the least activity was the gathering of Non-Timber Forest Products (0.92 signs/km). A total of eight mammal species were identified. The highest encounter rate (ER) was Atherurus africanus (23.36 sign/km) and the least was Philantomba monticola (0.05 signs/km). Signs of anthropogenic activities and wildlife were mostly found in the same area indicating that wildlife is threatened. For such threats to be reversed and to recover a high population of wildlife species, an alternative source of income should be introduced to hunters, and strict law enforcement should be put in place to curb defaulters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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