By Louvier Kindo Tombe
The campaign launched on the eve of the World Pangolin Day (February 19, 2022) highlights the illegal and unsustainable use of pangolin in bush meat trade and the risk of zoonotic diseases transmission from the activity.
“If it is to expand eco-tourism as the government of Cameroon is planning, the country needs to protect it’s incredible biodiversity. Stopping illegal bush meat trade also protects people from zoonotic and parasite-borne diseases”, said WildAid President, Peter KNIGHTS OBE during the launch in Yaounde.
The campaign will run under the slogans “Say No to Pangolin Meat” and “Keep them Wild, Keep us Safe”.
Football legends and music icons in the likes of Roger Milla, Patrick Mboma, Rigobert Song, Stanley Enow, Locko, and others have joined their voices to make people aware of the value of natural resources and being able to get support for their conservation.
A survey by WildAid and the Central Africa Bushmeat Action Group found that Pangolin was the second most frequently consumed form of bush meat in Cameroon after Porcupine.
A similar survey shows that awareness of the 2017 law protecting pangolins was very low, with only 29% of respondents knowing that it was illegal to kill and trade all species of pangolin. An overwhelming majority (93%) were proud that pangolins exist in Cameroon.
Present during the launching in Yaounde was the Director of Wildlife and protected areas at the Ministry of forests and Wildlife in Cameroon, Joseph Lekealem. He revealed that the all 3 main species of pangolin in the country have been classified under category 1, requiring integral protection.
“After the fight against drugs and illicit arms, the fight against pangolin is the third major challenge Cameroon is facing”, he said.
Cameroon is a key habitat for three (3) species of pangolin, the giant pangolon, the white-bellied pangolin and the black-bellied pangolin.
Just to note that more than 2.5 million pangolins are taken from the wild every year across Africa and Asia, and population of all eight species of pangolin are plummeting towards extinctions.
Previous WildAid campaigns have contributed to an 80% reduction of shark fin imports to China and 75%+ reduction in the price of ivory and rhino horn in Asia.
