WCS Nigeria Trains 300 Hunters in 35 Communities to Save Gorillas

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Nigeria has trained no fewer than 300 local hunters in other economic activities to sway them from hunting critically endangered Cross River gorillas,  which are said to be less than 100 now.

It has also intensified awareness campaigns in local communities at the three sites where these gorillas live.  These sites are the Mbe Mountains, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park which sre all in Boki LGA.

Dr Inaoyom Imong, Director of the Cross River Landscape of the WCS Nigeria Programm, said the purpose of the campaign was to enlighten the locals on why they should rather protect the gorillas instead of killing them for food.

Imong said they were also working with many communities in the forest areas of the sprawling Cross River National Park and other sites where the gorillas and other games are under protection.

In an exclusive interview with Niger Delta Trust, he said since the start of the exercise there were indications that the population of gorillas has been increasing or at least stabilised.

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“Since we embarked on the awareness campaign in 2002 to discourage people from killing gorillas, chimpanzees, and other threatened species, we have so far trained and empowered over 300 local hunters in various economic skills.

“The communities of Afi and Mbe mountains areas of Boki local government area, as well as the Okwangwo division of Cross River National park have benefitted from training and support for beekeeping, snail farming and goat rearing including support for construction and stocking of snail and goat pens and beehives.

“We are also working with local women in communities around the three Cross River gorilla sites to cultivate Bush Mango (Ogbonno) and have helped them formed cooperatives to enable them sell the product profitably”, he said.

Imong said all these efforts have helped reduce pressure on Cross River forests, which still host many endangered species of animals.

He added that to discourage deforestation that exposes the animals to danger, WCS procured improved cocoa seedlings for trained farmers to replant old farms as a way to increase productivity and reduce the need to clear more forest each year.

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“Following sustained awareness campaigns, I can say that the people of Cross River are now more tolerant of the gorillas. They now values the gorillas more.”

“People are now more aware that gorillas are protected by law in Nigeria and people who kill them could be handed a jail term.”

“Since the late 1980s no gorilla has been killed in the Mbe Mountains although sadly they were killed in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary between 2011 and 2012.”

As a way of further protecting the forest and the animals, Imong disclosed that the European Union in collaboration with the WCS will in the coming weeks launch a new project for the Cross River National Park (Oban and Okwangwo divisions).

“Additionally, WCS will be donating 10 motorbikes and assorted field equipment to Cross River National Park to support the park rangers to protect the forest of Cross River State.”