Bushmeat hunting around Lomami National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rodrigue Batumike,Gerard Imani,Christian Urom,Aida Cuni-Sanchez

doi:10.1017/s0030605319001017

Rodrigue Batumike, Gerard Imani + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605319001017

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Abstract

AbstractFor most of the Democratic Republic of the Congo quantitative data on bushmeat exploitation are scarce. We conducted focus group discussions on preferred species for household consumption and income generation in 24 villages around Lomami National Park, created in 2016. We also carried out a bushmeat market survey in Kindu, a major town in the study area, to estimate annual sales volumes and retail values. Villagers reported household consumption of 22 mammal species, with the most important being the African brush-tailed porcupine, Peters's duiker, bay duiker and red river hog. The latter three were also the most important for income generation. A greater number of smaller species were consumed at the household level, compared with those traded. A total of 17 mammal and one reptile species were traded in Kindu. Those traded in greater numbers were the African brush-tailed porcupine, blue and bay duiker, red river hog, red-tailed monkey and the sitatunga. We estimated > 40,000 carcasses were traded in Kindu annually, with a retail value of USD 725,000. Several species of conservation concern, such as the bonobo, were mentioned or observed. Few rodents and numerous large animals were traded in Kindu, suggesting resources have not yet been depleted. However, both villagers and urban vendors perceived a decline of many species and reported an increase in the use of firearms and the number of foreign hunters in the area. Among other interventions, we discuss how local communities could be encouraged to help preserve wildlife in the Park's buffer zone.

Highlights

In tropical forests, where wildlife biomass is lower than in more open habitats such as savannahs, overhunting of wild animals for their meat, often referred to as bushmeat, may lead to the depletion of local populations and can contribute to the extinction of some species (Abernethy et al, )
A recent study from Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) showed that both wealthy and impoverished urban households consume bushmeat for a variety of reasons, including low cost and taste preference
Most of the area is covered by lowland semi-evergreen rainforests, evergreen rainforests dominated by limbali Gilbertiodendron dewevrei, swamp forests and savannahs

Summary

Introduction

In tropical forests, where wildlife biomass is lower than in more open habitats such as savannahs, overhunting of wild animals for their meat, often referred to as bushmeat, may lead to the depletion of local populations and can contribute to the extinction of some species (Abernethy et al, ). Overhunting can have cascading effects in an ecosystem, affecting species not targeted for bushmeat (e.g. large carnivores) and altering forest structure and composition because large mammals and birds are important dispersers of trees with large seeds (Wright et al, ; Maisels et al, ). Because of these cascading effects, overhunting can affect forest carbon stocks (Brodie & Gibbs, ). In all Central African countries bushmeat is a significant source of animal protein and is important for food security (Fa et al, ) It is often the only source of iron and fat (Siren & Machoa, ; Golden et al, ). Unsustainable hunting of wild animals can negatively affect the nutrition, food security and livelihoods of the people that depend on them

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