Bush Meat Crisis is not stopping
And Africa is suffering for it
Bush Meat refers to wild or game meat. In Africa, the forest and shrub land is commonly called a bush. Since wild animals live in the bush, people refer to this kind of meat as Bush Meat. The meat includes threatened and endangered animals and among others the most sought after species being; Chimpanzees and other primates, Antelopes, Bush Buck, Kob, Hippopotamus Buffalo, Warthog.
Long time ago, people used to hunt wild animals like Antelopes, Zebras, and Hippopotamus to feed their families on sustainable basis. They had specific hunting seasons that took the animals breeding seasons into consideration. This ensured that the numbers of game /animals were not affected.
However, this is not the case today as the commercial value of Bush Meat has forced people to hunt throughout the year. Due to the commercial value of Bush Meat, it is no longer viable for people to hunt for domestic consumption. As the human population increases, demand for Bush Meat also increases, thus depleting their numbers. By hunting and killing animals, we lose their contribution to seed dispersal and forest regeneration, animals being responsible for 80% of the rejuvenation of our forests.
With the increase of deforestation for logging and Palm oil plantations communities are being set up next to pristine forest areas and being poorly paid, these communities are allowed free reign in the forests where trucks are using the newly developed roads and poachers with firearms are taking out millions of pounds of Bush Meat annually.
Through PAAZAB-BCRE® and its Central African, West to East Coast chapter based at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), outreach programmes have been implemented. This involves teams from UWEC visiting the most remote villages to advise them on the perils of Bush Meat trade and assist them with establishing alternative food sources. In addition to this, curriculum based literature and programmes have been developed for schools and teachers. Embracing all this is the enormous Conservation drive working with rangers and reserve managers in re-establishing migratory corridors through working with farmers and communities.
The next phase of Bush Meat Crisis Africa™ is to raise the level of participation by creating global awareness of the destruction of this trade to the ecosystem and the real life potential of the spread of fatal diseases emanating from Bush Meat added to assisting local communities in developing alternative food sources and promoting conservation.
Bush Meat Crisis is a global concern
illegal bush meat trade hits an all-time high
- The multibillion-dollar trade in Bush Meat is the most immediate threat of tropical vertebrates.
- 30 years of data from Ghana link shows that mammal declines are now evident in the declining availability of fish. Poor fish supply coincides with increased hunting and decline of 41 wildlife species.
- Bush Meat tops menu billing in famous hotels and restaurants around the globe.
- So popular are these dishes such that in places like ‘Sun-Dance’ in Arusha (Tanzania) or ‘Safari Park’ in Nairobi (Kenya) where wildlife meals are served, patrons have to book tables in advance due to high demand.
- The famous Burma Market, which supplies up to 50 per cent of meat consumed in Nairobi, is said to be the most notorious outlet.
- In the Mara Triangle alone, the Mara Conservancy says it seized a record 5,337 snares, all set to capture wild animals, last year. In August 2013 alone, 1 775 snares were discovered and 215 poachers arrested.
- Bush Meat ends up in city markets and expensive restaurants throughout Equatorial Africa. Bush Meat can also be found in international markets around the world, even in the United States.
- Delicacies like gorilla hands find their way to the tables of the wealthy, not only in Africa, but around the globe.
- Research found an estimated 270 tons of Bush Meat passing through Paris alone.
- Predators’ population (lion, etc) is devastated by Bush Meat hunters. Predators are seen to be ‘competition’ to the hunters/poachers as the predators are taking away potential income from the hunters/poachers.
What are the direct threats to Humans?
Some life threatening diseases are transmitted through Bush Meat consumption.
This can provoke new and terrible epidemics with an effect that can be felt at local and global levels. We might have heard of at least one or more of these diseases; Ebola Fever (this was made very evident in New Guinea in the first half of 2014 with at least 68 deaths), Anthrax, Marburg Fever, East Coast fever, Tuberculosis, Hantavirus Infection, and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever.
The transmission of Zoonosis through the transportation of raw meat by human ‘couriers’, is of global concern. Due to the monetary rewards, this practice is increasing at an alarming rate!
Did You Know ?
Disturbing facts
- The current hunting methods such as wire snare, man traps or automatic rifles are very cruel and indiscriminately kill animals.
- When a wire snare enters the flesh and breaks the animal’s tendons, the wound cannot heal.
- Many animal species are becoming endangered or even extinct because of the Bush Meat crisis.
- The loss of biodiversity is irreversible.
- Bush Meat trade is directly responsible for starvation and loss of culture among the local populations.
- During a study in Uganda, it was revealed that besides killing primates for their hair and to stop crop raiding, they were hunted for aphrodisiac uses (increasing sexual desire) and other related manhood problems. This then poses a new dimension in wildlife conservation and health risks especially with unknown viral diseases.
- Until about ten years ago, primate meat (Baboons, Chimpanzees and Monkeys) was not considered a delicacy; it was not eaten as they were considered “people of the forest”.
What tools or methods are used in hunting?
Humans are very imaginative
Long ago, people used rudimentary methods of hunting such as ropes, twigs or natural materials. Later on, spears and nets were employed, requiring somebody to chase the animal. In this case, an animal had a chance to survive.
Unfortunately these rudimentary tools are no longer used today as commercialization has taken the centre stage. People now use automatic rifles, wire snares and man traps. These do not give a fair chance of survival to an animal as they are indiscriminate; create a lot of body pain and sometimes loss of body parts such as limbs.
Some of the tools used are shown on the left.
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