WWF UK concerns over poaching in southeast Cameroon has seen authorities arrest 15 wildlife poachers and seize over 1,000 kgs of illegal bush meat in a hugely successful operation. The Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife’s anti poaching operation was joined by the national military to uncover the remains of several protected species such as gorillas, elephants, and chimpanzees, alongside 30 guns including high calibre rifles and illegally owned AK-47’s.
The operation was carried out with the help of local rulers and population as teams carried out in-forest patrols. Among the 15 arrested was a municipal councillor suspected of being an elephant poacher based in the town of Moloundou, close to the Nki National Park. WWF is now calling on a swift prosecution of the 15 suspected poachers, thus promoting a successful conclusion to the anti-poaching drive.
Heather Sohl, Species Trade Officer at WWF said:
The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife deserves praise in taking steps to help stop the uncontrolled destruction of species by a few individuals to the detriment of the local population. However, the success of this operation should be measured by the effectiveness of the judicial process brought against the suspects. We must avoid a situation whereby the same people who have been arrested are back in the forest the very next day to continue with illegal activities.
The WWF has been working alongside the authorities and local people in Cameroon for nearly two decades in an effort to protect the unique forest environment, wildlife and eco-system. Anti poaching efforts by Cameroon’s Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife supported by WWF have so far seen 54 people arrested for poaching since 2008. 5 of the accused were also charged with illegal wood exploitation.
National director for WWF Cameroon, Martin Tchamba, said –
It is critical for both government and other stakeholders to examine the alarming decimation of wildlife if we are to halt the irreversible loss of biodiversity. We need to urgently assess the causes of the present poaching upsurge and determine appropriate actions in order to safeguard key wildlife species in and around the parks.
