Batoke – Limbe : Merchants In Protected Animal Species Arrested

There are three merchants in security dragnets for trading in protected animal species. They were arrested in Batoke, near Limbe on Friday April 28, 2023 following a tip off from informants. They were caught with a huge chunk of fresh and smoked bush meat made up of monkeys, drill, bush dog, reed buck, etc, all category A protected animal species. Still in their possession were also bush cat, palm civet, bush pig, mboma, etc, belonging to category B protected animal species. Also, category C, which is partially protected animal species like porcupine, frotambo, fox etc were in their ownership, all gotten from Mount Cameroon National Park which is a protected area for hunting.
The quantity of category A is 245 kg, category B is 1015 kg and C 665 kg summing up to 1925 kg of bush meat. The team that arrested the merchants and seized the bush meat, comprised of five elements led by Tenkeu Armand, Head of Protected Unit in the Programme of Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the South West. On Tuesday May 2, 2023, the seized bush meat was displaced to the public at the South West Regional Delegation for Forestry and Wildlife in Buea. Category A species were all burnt before the public while B and C were auctioned to the public. Ikome Delphine, South West Regional Delegate for Forestry and Wildlife said the...