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The Status of Cheetah and Af- Rican Wild Dog in the Bénoué Ecosystem, North Cameroon

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The Status of Cheetah and Af- Rican Wild Dog in the Bénoué Ecosystem, North Cameroon original contribution HANS H. DE IONGH1*, BARBARA CROES1, GREG RASMUSSEN2, RALPH BUIJ3 AND Study area PAUL FUNSTON4 The North Province of Cameroon (Fig. 1) is covered (44%) by natural woodland and con- The status of cheetah and Af- tains three national parks and 28 hunting zones. Poaching is a threat to wildlife and is rican wild dog in the Bénoué mainly related to rapid human encroachment in this area. Human population growth is re- Ecosystem, North Cameroon latively high in the area at around 2.6 % p.a. and mostly results from immigration from Here we present the results of a research programme on large carnivores imple- other provinces or neighbouring countries mented in the Bénoué Ecosystem of North Cameroon. The area comprises three na- with a diverse ethnic background (De Iongh tional parks (Bénoué, Bouba-Ndjidda and Faro, with a total surface of 7,300 km2) and et al. 2010) a large area comprising 28 hunting zones (with a total surface of 15,700 km2) that is The Bénoué Ecosystem (BE) is part of an ex- contiguous and surrounds all three parks. Three years of surveys (2007-2010) covered tensive protected area complex, the Bénoué- 4,200 km of spoor transects, 1,200 camera-trap days, 109 interviews with local villag- Gashaka Gumti area, of about 30,000 km2 in ers, and direct observations. From these data we conclude that cheetahs Acinonyx North Cameroon and Nigeria. The Bénoué- jubatus and African wild dogs Lycaon pictus are functionally extinct in the Bénoué Gashaka Gumti area consists of these Natio- Ecosystem and probably also in other areas of the country. Spotted hyenas Crocuta nal Parks (from east to west): Bénoué, Bouba- crocuta and leopards Panthera pardus were found in hunting zones and national Ndjidda and Faro in Cameroon and Gashaka- parks in similar densities, but lion Panthera leo densities were significantly lower in Gumti in Nigeria. Referring to the BE in this hunting concessions than in national parks. Our immediate recommendation is that study we mean the three national parks in local authorities drastically improve management strategies in both national parks the Bénoué Valley (Bénoué, Bouba-Ndjidda and hunting concessions, to facilitate restoration of wild dog and cheetah popula- and Faro). These parks are connected and tions by immigration from neighbouring countries Central African Republic and Chad. surrounded by 28 hunting zones, and the total area of the BE covers 23,500 km2. None of the Whereas the cheetah was once found throug- in 1985 a cheetah skin was seen by the prin- parks are fenced and wildlife can wander fre- hout Africa and into India, the species is now cipal author hanging on the wall of a hotel in ely in and out of the national parks. Inside the only scattered in Iran and various countries Maroua, which also confirms that cheetahs parks hunting is prohibited, while inside the 29 in sub-Saharan Africa. Remaining cheetah were hunted for trophies. hunting zones quotas are allocated for hun- populations are estimated to be between In order to determine the status of cheetahs ting a wide range of large mammal species 10,000 and 12,500 animals located in 24 to and wild dogs in the Bénoué ecosystem in (Mayaka 2002). 26 African countries, with a small population the North Province of Cameroon a three-year of less than 100 animals in Iran (Nowell and project started in 2007 (Croes et al. 2010). Methods Jackson 1996, Faradinia 2004). In West and Additional objectives of the survey program- The status surveys consisted of (1) combined Central Africa cheetahs still survive in small me included research into methods of moni- track survey and camera-trapping techniques; pockets, but they are extinct through much toring these species in the region, training (2) structured interviews with 109 family of their historical range in these regions. local field staff in monitoring methods and heads in 19 villages; (3) interviews with 24 The cheetah is listed as Vulnerable on the ultimately raising awareness among local village heads; and (4) opportunistic interviews IUCN global Red List and is listed in CITES stakeholders. with five hunting zone managers. Appendix I. A great majority of cheetahs live in small, isolated populations outside protec- ted game reserves where they are often in conflict with humans and livestock, and the- refore most of these populations continue to decline. (Nowell & Jackson 1996). Cheetahs were last reported from Cameroon by Esser and van Lavieren (1979). The last observa- tions of cheetahs in Cameroon are from the late 1970s when a female with two cubs was observed in Waza National Park (L. P. van Lavieren, pers. comm.). In 1973 a cheetah skin, reportedly from North Cameroon, was confiscated by the Wildlife Management and Control Section (North Eastern State of Nige- ria) in Maiduguri (Colquhoun 1974). This was not the only case reported. During the 1970s several cheetah skins were confiscated in northern Nigeria (P. Wit, pers. comm.). Also, Fig.1. Survey area and its location in North Cameroon. CATnews 55 Autumn 2011 de Iongh et al. A B C D 30 Fig.2. Large carnivores were represented by lion (A, B), leopard (C) and spotted hyena (D; Photos B.M. Croes and M. de Jager). Five park guides were trained as large-carni- chiefs between January 2008 and May 2010. Of 109 family heads interviewed in 2006, 60% vore trackers and conducted the track surveys Finally, on an opportunistic basis, five hun- indicated that large carnivore numbers had either in teams of two on a motorbike or sin- ting zone managers (HZM) were interviewed declined in the BE in the past 20 years, while gly on a tracker seat mounted on the front of about their knowledge of the past and present 21% indicated an increase, and 19% had no a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle. Trackers were occurrence of wild dogs, cheetahs and other opinion. No confirmed sightings of cheetahs equipped with a Super Track Stick III device large carnivores. were reported from 1996 to 2006. Of the ad- that registered GPS locations during surveys. ditional people interviewed in 2008-2010, no This enabled verification by project leaders Results person reported sightings of cheetahs. With and mapping of all surveyed roads. During spoor transect surveys, tracks of lion respect to wild dogs only one person sugge- In total, 4,200 km of transects on dirt roads (N=103), leopard (N=80) and spotted hyena sted that they had observed them. This was were conducted throughout the complex, both (N=338), were commonly recorded, but no claimed to be of a group of three crossing a in the three national parks (Faro, Bénoué and confirmed tracks of cheetahs or wild dogs dirt road in the central Bénoué area. However, Bouba-Ndjida) and in adjacent hunting zones. were encountered during the survey. Although no evidence of wild dog presence was found For each large carnivore track encountered distinguishing spotted hyena tracks from stri- after visiting the site during a two-week field we recorded GPS location, species, number ped hyena tracks is extremely difficult, a zero survey period in May 2009. of individuals in the group and an estimate of photographing rate of striped hyenas by the Opportunistic interviews with five HZMs their ages. In addition 12 Stealth Cam camera camera traps suggested that striped hyenas revealed that their perception of cheetahs traps were installed along selected stretches were also either absent or extremely rare in and wild dogs was generally negative. Most of the same road transects at 2.5 km intervals the study area. Photographs of lions, spotted HZMs believed that the cheetah had become during survey periods of 2-3 weeks. hyenas, leopards and smaller carnivores, as extinct in the area several decades ago,. Two In 2006 structural interviews with open- well as porcupines and aardvarks were ob- HZMs indicated that they did not wish to ended questions focused on the national tained throughout the survey area (Fig. 2). An have either species, but especially wild dogs, parks and the presence of carnivores were extensive database has been created for each in their area as they tended to ’destroy all held with 109 family heads in 19 different species with GPS location data, and a pictu- valuable game’. A general lack of understan- villages in the central Bénoué Ecosystem re with a size indication of each track. These ding of wild dog behaviour and ecology was (between Guidjiba and Koti Manga). The in- data are currently being analyzed and will be further highlighted by the belief of one HZM terviews were conducted with the help of a published together with the results of the that a ’hybrid species’ of wild and domestic French- and Fulfuldé-speaking interpreter. Ad- combined track and camera trapping surveys dogs existed in the area until not long ago. ditional interviews took place with 24 village (B. M. Croes, pers. comm.) Although hybridisation between wolves and CATnews 55 Autumn 2011 cheetah and wild dog in North Cameroon domestic dogs has been reported, wild dogs are a separate monotypic genus and thus hyb- ridisation cannot be deemed a possibility. Three HZMs also reported that nomadic catt- le owners have persecuted cheetahs and wild dogs in the past and suggested that this was probably the main reason for their absence now. However there was no evidence for losses due to this cause from the interviews with village heads, while there was evidence for loss caused by lions and hyenas. One HZM reported the presence of a wild dog carcass and presented a headless and clawless fresh skeleton of a carnivore. Since this carcass showed feline characteristics we investiga- ted whether this might have been a cheetah.
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