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Wildlife in the Forests
There are several causes that threaten wildlife: the destruction and degradation of suitable habitat such as pristine rainforest by extended farming, bushfires and logging. Furthermore, poaching with traps and guns for “bushmeat” has become the main reason for the decline of primate species and other wildlife. Illegal logging activities facilitate a chain of events. Operators leave behind broad trails through which the logs are being extracted from the forest. These new trails make previously untouched areas of the rainforest accessible. Poachers use these trails to enter deep into the forest and to transport their prey back to the main roads where the cadavers are then sent to the bushmeat markets of the major cities. Almost all animal species are being hunted with the main focus on duikers, antelopes, porcupines, grasscutters and pangolins. Monkeys are being regarded a delicacy and they are hunted whenever possible. Thus, forest areas that have been used by locals so far to satisfy the local demand of bushmeat are now being left empty of large and medium sized animals. Experts estimate that more than a million tons of bushmeat are being consumed every year in Africa! When the animals are killed for meat their live offspring is often taken and sold at local markets. These “pets” are being kept illegally and most of them suffer under unbelievable housing conditions and secured on a chain for the rest of their short lives. Due to the threat of further animals and/or plant species becoming extinct the World Conservation Organization (IUCN) has marked the biodiversity of the Upper Guinean Forest in West Africa to receive highest priority for protection.
Threatened Primates of the Upper Guinean Forest
The Eastern part of the Upper Guinean Forest provides habitat
for some of the world’s most endangered primate species, for example
the White-naped mangabey (Cercocebus atys lunulatus) and the Roloway
guenon (Cercopithecus diana roloway), a sub-species of the Diana
guenon. These primate species are endemic to the rainforest areas of
Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, i.e they cannot be found anywhere else in the
world. Another species that used to occur in the same area is the Miss
Waldron’s colobus (Procolobus badius waldroni). In September 2000 it
was officially declared extinct by scientists after no living evidence
of this species was found during surveys since the early 70’s. This
makes the Miss Waldron’s colobus the first primate species to be
extinct by human influence within the last 100 years. Even if the
existence of a few individuals in some remote forest areas is assumed
there is still no viable population of this species left.