Use and vulnerability of fauna in the northern part of the Mono Basin in Togo, West Africa

Abstract

The wildlife habitats of the Mono River Basin (MRB) in Togo are increasingly fragmented under the effect of anthropogenic threats, making wildlife even more vulnerable. This study aims at determining the endogenous knowledge of the vulnerability of the fauna of the MRB in Togo. Data were collected based on semi-structured ethnozoological surveys by individual and focus group interviews of 185 respondents, mostly hunters neighbouring the protected areas of the study area. The fauna reported was 65 species divided into 58 genera and 40 families from which 15 ungulates, nine (9) carnivores, six (6) turtles, and six (6) primates. At the local scale, 16.43% and 20.16% of the fauna was reported respectively as less available and rare. There are two (2) reported rare species highlighted based on the consensus value (CV): the waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus (CV=0.72) and the antelope, Hippotragus equinus (CV= 0.7) and two (2) less available species: the boa, Python sabae (CV=0,75); the red buffalo, Syncerus caffer nanus (CV=0.80). Among the species listed, 14 are vulnerable according to the IUCN classification criteria. They are: six (6) critically endangered (Cercopithecus erythrogaster ssp. erythrogaster, Colobus vellerosus, Cyclanorbis elegans, Erythrocoebus patas spp. patas, Kynixys homeana, and Loxodonta africana), three (3) endangered (Centrochelys sulcata, Lycaon pictus, and Phataginus tricuspis) and five ( 5) vulnerable (Aquila rapax, Crocodylus suchus, Kinixys belliana, Kinixya homeana, and Panthera leo). The completeness studies will give better appreciation of the so-called vulnerable/threatened species, namely their spatial distributions, the size of their population and the level of fragmentation of their habitat.