Bushmeat consumption and environmental awareness in rural households: a case study around Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

Consumption of bushmeat, a staple food of people living in the vicinity of protected areas, is a challenge for the conservation of wildlife. The underlying factors driving this consumption are, however, relatively understudied, particularly among rural households, and improved understanding would facilitate the development of conservation strategies. We therefore aimed to identify the factors that influence bushmeat consumption in rural households to the west of Taï National Park, in Côte d'Ivoire. We carried out enquiries in a total of 144 rural households in 20 localities during July–December 2012. Bushmeat, the majority of which comprised rodents and bovids, accounted for 13% of the animal protein consumed in these households. This consumption was significantly higher in households in which poverty was more acute (low annual income and more dependent children). We found that repeated awareness campaigns involving theatre performances and/or film screenings (multimedia campaigns) contributed to a decrease in bushmeat consumption. This decrease exceeded 62% after exposure to four multimedia campaigns. We highlight the importance of awareness campaigns for reducing consumption of wild animals, and demonstrate the importance of recurring multimedia campaigns to maximize the impact of such conservation activities in rural communities.

Effects of anti-poaching patrols on the distribution of large mammals in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire

“…Our findings also indicate that if patrolling effort is not high enough, wildlife populations will continue to decrease in the face of increasing human pressures. However, we also believe that other factors, such as changing people's behaviour through awareness raising, are also important to consider for wildlife protection (Kouassi et al, 2017). We have used a novel approach, collecting data on wildlife and illegal activity independently of patrolling data; however, the measure we used to estimate patrolling effort is coarse and does not take into account the precise location of patrols.…”

Saving rodents, losing primates—Why we need tailored bushmeat management strategies

“…Since we found high consistencies and no evidence of intentional underreporting of species with higher protection status (e.g. 7.3% vs. 7%, Kouassi et al., 2017 utilization of primates), we assume that our dataset accurately reflects reality (Appendix 1.2, Table A1.2) and is suitable to answer our research questions. See also Bachmann et al.…”

“…Lastly, the amount of meat required to fulfil household protein and micronutrient requirements can increase reliance on bushmeat and affect selectivity (Friant et al., 2020). We therefore included the number of dependent children per household, as the pressure to provide nourishment or money may be higher for households with more mouths to feed (Bachmann et al., 2019; Kouassi et al., 2017; Overview see Table 2, summary statistic Appendix Tables A.1.4–A.1.6).…”

“…Educational‐based strategies hypothesize that making informed pro‐environmental choices depends first on having the respective knowledge, and second that individuals with higher education are in general more concerned about the environment (Gifford, 2012). Thus, we tested whether the effect of formal education, measured in years of school attendance, and the impact of environmental awareness, assessed by asking respondents whether hunting and consumption of bushmeat have harmful effects on the local fauna, may affect resource use choices (Junker et al., 2015; Kouassi et al., 2017; Overview see Table 2, summary statistic Appendix Tables A.1.4–A.1.6).…”

Characteristics of Positive Deviants in Western Chimpanzee Populations

“…Another important conservation intervention includes awareness raising activities, especially because in certain areas medicinal or magical properties are assigned to chimpanzee parts and chimpanzee bone powder (Hanson-Alp et al, 2003). There are studies that have shown a positive effect of such interventions on bushmeat consumption, for example in the context of repeated multimedia campaigns (Kouassi et al, 2017) and Ebola information campaigns (Ordaz-Németh et al, 2017). However, hunting chimpanzees is also strongly driven by a demand for chimpanzee parts and live animals from urban areas and even international markets (Kuehl et al, 2009;Greengrass, 2016;Strindberg et al, 2018).…”