Conservation and management

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in 2003 (Thomas et al. 1999) in portions of the Deng Deng Forest. It is also considered a compensation for damages that may adversely affect wildlife during and after the construction of the Lom Pangar Dam (EDC 2011). The establishment of park saw the extension of the Wildlife Sanctuary including important area south of the sanctuary boundary that needed more intense protection.

The management of Deng Deng National Park is mainly led by the government of Cameroon through its Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), in partnership with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, and the Wildlife Conservation Society‟s commitment in managing Deng Deng National Park has received significant support from international cooperation and partners such as the Agence Française du Developpement (AFD), African Development Bank (AFDB), and the World Bank.

The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife is the main stakeholder responsible for main administrative duties and for overseeing the overall management of the park. Management at the level of ministry has been supported by the appointment of a conservator to lead the implementation of government policies on park management. The ministry through its Conservator is responsible for the proper delimitation of the park‟s boundary, the training and equipping of eco-guards and the implementation of law enforcement patrols to monitor illegal activities in and around the park. Characterized by often limited and inadequate technical capacity and finance, the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife is totally depending on the Wildlife Conservation Society for technical and financial support to execute its activities in the park.

Recent efforts involved placing of joint MINFOF and WCS sign post at strategic points (areas where the possibility of encroachment is high) to mark the limits of the park, training of eco-guards in the school of Forestry and Wildlife Garoua (AFD 2011) and monitoring of illegal activities around the park. The joint effort has yielded seizures of bush-meat and arms from several hunters (Plate 5) and has reduced the level of illegal hunting in the park.

The Wildlife Conservation Society through the Cameroon Biodiversity Programme (CBP) is have been working in close collaboration with the government Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife in the management of Deng Deng National Park. It was through the leading research efforts and recommendations made by the Wildlife Conservation Society that the park was created (WCS 2008, Fotso et al. 2002). The Wildlife Conservation Society‟s main interest in the park is to protect the wealth of biodiversity it supports. With main funding from Agence Francaise du Developpement (AFD), WCS is conducting research (ecological and socioeconomic research) to

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provide relevant data require for management purposes. At an operational level, WCS has established a project “Deng Deng National Park project”, headed by a director to further the park‟s objectives and is providing technical and research support to MINFOF (e.g. vehicles, research equipment and finance).

Plate 5: Bushmeat seized from hunters by joint Wildlife Condervation Society and Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife anti-poaching team (Source: WCS archive 2011)

The Wildlife Conservation Society through the Deng Deng National Park project is committed to ensuring a proper delimitation of the park‟s boundary, training of eco-guards, monitoring of illegal activities, fundraising for the management of the park and sensitization of stakeholders operating in the park area on the importance of protecting the park‟s biodiversity.

WCS has realized several field surveys and sensitization campaigns, and is working in collaboration with external researchers, academic institutions, and development institutions (e.g.

COTCO and EDC) to conduct further research, sensitization, and monitoring in and around the park.

Characterized by their economic interest and aware of the negative impacts of their project activities from the point of view of species and habitat conservation, economic operators in the park area such as the Electricity Development Cooperation (EDC) and the Chad-Cameroon petrol pipeline project (managed by the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company - COTCO), are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, The Wildlife Conservation Society, and the local communities towards the protection of the park (COTCO 2011, EDC 2011). In view of this collaboration, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and the Electricity Development Cooperation to further protect the park (EDC 2011). The roles of these projects are indicated in the areas of funding, control of access

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into the park and adjacent areas, anti-poaching and the minimization of risk in the implementation of the respective projects‟ activities. The Electricity Development Cooperation and the Chad-Cameroon petrol pipeline project have supported the conservation of the park through limited financial support for anti-poaching activities and control of access into the park. They have assisted with short term control post near Ouami, Lom Pangar and Lom villages and a long-term control post north of the pipeline to halt easy access to the north-east of the park (EDC 2011b).

Control posts are fortified with both Wildlife Conservation Society and the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife trained eco-guards ready to enforce law in case of illegal activities. The Electricity Development Cooperation and the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline project in their support for led poaching campaigns, have taken internal measures through the implementation of strict anti-poaching laws to curb killing and commercialization of bushmeat among employees and contract staff. Employees are prohibited to hunt, buy bushmeat or live game. They are also prohibited to possess any hunting weapon (COTCO 2011). Despite these efforts, the activities of these projects are still detrimental to the biodiversity in and around the park.

Local communities living around the park are yet not fully involved in the management process. However, their culture and traditional beliefs are indirectly contributing to the management of resources within their vicinity (Fotso et al. 2002).

In the absence of a management plan for Deng Deng National Park, management so far has been guided by a set of short-term and long-term objectives. Main focus has been to ensure the survival and protection of great apes population through concerted actions with stakeholders.

Short term management goals are to ensure the elimination of illegal activities, minimize the impact of developmental activities and ensure the participation and wellbeing of local populations around the park (EDC 2011, Maisels et al. 2010).

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4 Research methods and data analysis procedures

For the purpose of this study, both primary and secondary data were collected. Procedures for the collection and analyses of research data are elaborated in the respective and subsequent sections.

First steps that were taken to acquire the necessary primary data included obtaining authorization to conduct study in the chosen study area (i.e. Deng Deng National Park) and assembling of major resources (human and material resources) needed for field surveys. Both written and verbal authorization to conduct research was obtained from the Ministry of Scientific Research and Technical Innovation, Yaounde, Ministry of Forest and Wildlife, Yaounde, and the Wildlife Conservation Society / Cameroon Biodiversity Programme, Yaounde. Field work was conducted between the periods November 2012 - March 2013 that coincided with the dry season period of the study area. During this period, administrative and training activities as well as actual field survey was completed. Administrative meetings were held with responsible authorities to finalize approval of research permits and to secure technical and logistic support needed to execute research. In this regard, meetings were held with the Society for Conservation Geographic Information System Cameroon (SCGIS), IUCN/World Resource Institute Cameroon, Wildlife Conservation Society/Cameroon Biodiversity Programme and the Ministry of Forest and Wildlife contact persons. Training of research team was conducted in December 2012 followed by field surveys that ran from January to March of 2013.