New Study Unveils Shiftin Patterns in African Wildlife Huntin

A grundbrakkin study has shed licht on e evolvin dynamics o wild animal huntin in African tropical forests. Co-led by Professor Katharine Abernethy, iss research merks e first comprehensive examination o huntin patterns on a regional scale. Advances in data availability hae made iss exploration possible, revealin critical insichts intae the socio-cultural, economic, an environmental factors aat shape huntin practices.

Conducted in pairtnership wi organisations sic as e Wildlife Conservation Society an e Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale, e study eesed wildmeat.org, e lairgest free-access compilation o African huntin data. It analysed data fae 115 settlements, synthesisin findins fae 83 studies published atween 1991 an 2020.

Een o the maist strikin revelations is e shift fae traditional huntin tools like spears an traps tae fire-airms. Iss chynge allous hunters tae target commercially valuable species mair effectively. As a result, primate populations, fit haud heich mercat value, micht face increased threits.

E research pynts oot a troublin trend: a transition fae subsistence huntin tae commercial huntin. Iss shift caters tae the growin demand for bushmeat in urban areas, leadin tae a surge in wild meat trade an gun huntin. Sic practices cuid lead tae significant declines in lairger wildlife populations, pairticularly in regions wi easily accessible an degraded forests.

Professor Abernethy emphasises e importance o this research for decision-makkers an conservationists. Improved clarity on huntin patterns aids in craftin strategies for e sustainable management o wildlife. Policymakkers are urged tae consider e critical role o wildlife in feed security, especially in regions faar local communities rely on these resoorces.

E study wis led by Dr. Daniel Ingram fae the Durrell Institute o Conservation an Ecology, alangside Professor Abernethy, Professor Jörn Scharlemann, an Dr. Lauren Coad. Dr. Ingram stresses e need for robust monitorin an management framewarks for hunters an traders tae ensure the sustainability o huntin systems.

Titled “Regional patterns o wild animal huntin in African tropical forests,” e study wis published in Nature Sustainability an received fundin fae the United States Fish an Wildlife Service, USAID, UK Research an Innovation, an e UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund. Iss research serves as a vital resoorce in e ongaan effort tae balance human needs wi wildlife conservation in Africa.