West African countries

TEAM MEMBERS:

TEHOU Comlan Aristide (tehouaristidecomlan@yahoo.fr), CSEP/CENAGREF; Benin

Yaokokoré-Béibro H. K. ( hyaokokore@yahoo.fr), Laboratoire de Zoologie et Biologie Animale; Côte d'Ivoire

SOW Mamadou Boye (sowboye@gmail.com), CN-MAB/UNESCO, Guinea

PARTNER(S) & SUPPORTER(S):

IUCN, CITES, INERA, OFINAP/MEEVCC; CENAGREF/Benin; DFCAP/Niger; Directories of ministries responsible for animal conservation and hunting in 8 countries

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Most of West African countries face the effect of climate global change. The negative impact of this change (e.g. global warming, lack of precipitations, unexpected events such as drought or floods, or rising sea level) has also negative effect on species conservations as well as on the ecosystems important for species survival (Donfack, 2011). This instability and fragility as well as growing increase of human population induce higher press on new lands and water. Due to this, the humid places attract a lot of developing activities: dam constructions, agricultural facilities, water holes for domestic cattle. In addition, flushing meadows are drying up by introducing rice and vegetable fields. All these actions lead to threats for surviving of the remaining populations of common hippo (Kedl, 2015; Amoussou et al., 2006; Brugière et al., 2006; Amossou et al., 2007; Michez, 2006; Dibloni et al., 2010; DFAP Cameroun, 2015). According to the recent analyses of IUCN the hippo population for West Africa is estimated as of 8 000 individuals which represent less than 50 % of entire population for West and Central Africa (Mallon et al., 2015). In addition, the common hippo populations in West Africa are the smallest and facing the highest threats of extinction compared with all other populations within the continent. Moreover, all these populations are very scattered and often very isolated (Brugière et al., 2006, Paré, 2016).

Therefore, in this project we aim to detect the populations, count them and determine the major threats. This effort should result into compilation of Conservation Action Plan for the West Africa, the first one for this species. The project will be performed by professional researchers, various MSc students, local experts, and local people.

Progress in 2020

Activity of the project "Counting the population of common hippopotamus in eight African countries" cannot carry out either in the filed or by contacts of people responsible for the protection of wildlife during 2020. It was caused by pandemic of COVID 19 as well as due to the lack of money. Nevertheless, we hope that during 2021 we would be able to meet either in Côte d'Ivoire or at any other coastal country in West Africa to discuss on the possibilities of hippo observations or even the preparation of the workshop for specialist that should occur in this sub-region in the forthcoming years.