Status of Eastern giant eland Tragelaphus derbianus gigas (Heuglin, 1863) in the Bouba-Ndjidda National Park, North Cameroon: challenges and conservation prospects

ABSTRACT

The conservation of many species may be hampered by a lack of sufficient ecological data. This study is aimed at assessing the population status of the giant eland (Tragelaphus derbianus gigas) in the BoubaNdjidda National Park (BNNP). From May to September 2021, 90 line transects spaced at 2.5 km were established, with 83 of them being census-walked once. The data collected were analysed using Distance 7.2 and QGIS software. The encounter rate of giant eland sightings was 1.91 elands/km, while the encounter rate for signs of giant eland activity was 2.11 dung/km; 0.89 footprints/km, and 0.02 carcasses/km. The abundance was estimated at 2924 individuals, with a density of 1.329 individuals/km². The giant eland population was mainly concentrated in the central part of the park while human activities were mainly concentrated in the periphery. We also observed that poaching and transhumance/pastoralism were the most common human activities in the park. Our results revealed that human activities negatively impact the antelope’s density and distribution in the BNNP.

KEYWORDS:

• Bouba Ndjidda National Park
• distribution
• giant eland
• human activities
• population

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) for allowing them to conduct research activities in Bouba-Ndjidda National Park. This survey was supported materially by the BSB Yamoussa Project implemented by the World Conservation Society (WCS). The authors also thank Rduch Vera for her support and advice during the writing of the manuscript. We are also grateful to the donor of this project (KFW), its management committee, and the authorities of the Bouba-Ndjidda National Park (BNNP) Conservation and Management Department for their logistical support for this census and for providing equipment used for data collection. The authors also thank all the eco-guards (MADJAYE Stéphane Marel, MBINZI Alain, GARKA Anicet, YANBE Blaise) of the BNNP, the WCS agents (VAILIA NGUERTOU Alexandre, WELLEME Janvier, BAYANG BELLA Vincent de Paul, VONDJO Jules Paterson, ZAMBO Etienne Noël, NEGANG Armel Dimitri, TCHINKE Albert, MENWOA Emmanuel, NISOUABE Jean-Pierre, SODOUKSI Pierre, DAÏROU Vaïlia, ABDOULAYE François, NDJEKOMBAY Alain, KADJE Jérémie, ADAMOU Aoudi, BELLO Timothé, KEPSANGA Appolinaire, VESSI Daniel, HASSANA Koulede, NADJIBAI Thomas, ABDOULAYE Saïdou, BOUBA Issa, SOULEY Issa, VRI Ouing) of the BSB Yamoussa project, the soldiers of the 31st Motorized Infantry Battalion of Tcholliré and the residents of the Bouba-Ndjidda National Park.

Authors’ contributions

Project design: KTL, KSA, BFEM, and ATP; fieldwork, data analysis, and writing: KTL, AMM, ATP, and BFEM; fieldwork supervision: TSP, KSA, and PB.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Taïga Léa Kondasso

Taïga Léa Kondasso has an MSc in zoology (2018) from the University of Maroua, Kondasso. He has started his PhD in conservation biology, on bovid ecology. Since 2019, he has been a research assistant in the Laboratory of Applied Zoology of the University of Maroua.

Serge Alexis Kamgang

Serge Alexis Kamgang specializes in biodiversity conservation and capacity building in tropical Africa. Currently Executive Director of BEDD, a local NGO, he has focussed on great ape and large carnivore ecology, human–wildlife conflict and educational development combining local ecological knowledge and novel technology.

Patrick Ntonga Akono

Patrick Ntonga Akono is a professor of zoology at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Douala in Cameroon. Currently, he studies the distribution and ecology of the chelonians of Cameroonian coasts.

Aaron Manga Mongombe

Aaron Manga Mongombe received his BSc in zoology from the University of Buea, Cameroon, in 2003, and an MSc in zoology from the University of Maroua, Cameroon, in 2013. He obtained his PhD degree in conservation biology from the University of Maroua in 2010. His research interests include the conservation and ecology of threatened species, particularly mammalian ones.

Serge Patrick Tadjo

Serge Patrick Tadjo specializes in the sustainable management of natural resources. With interdisciplinary training and professional experience of 18 years, he has strong expertise in wildlife conservation, transboundary management of protected areas, forest management and logging, management of transboundary transhumance, and forest and institutional policies.

Paul Bour

Paul Bour has 30 years of experience in protected area management in northern Cameroon, specializing in the fight against wildlife crime. Since 2016 he has been managing the project to support the transboundary protected area complex of Séna Oura (Chad) and Bouba Ndjidda (Cameroon) national parks.

Eric Moïse Bakwo Fils

Eric Moïse Bakwo Fils specializes in conservation biology. He has focussed on mammal ecology and taxonomy in Central and Western Africa. Currently, he is the Head of Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Ebolowa in Cameroon.