Time to take conservation seriously

It was a black month for the West African black rhinos as that family of rhinos was officially declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is the United Nations-backed body that makes such declarations.

For me as a West African the news is particularly depressing. However, it calls to mind the general attitude to conservation in the region. The region is one where people just kill and eat animals without restraints. Regulations ain’t just there. Where they exist at all, enforcement is zero.

Because of this, West Africa has high levels of local species endemism. According to Conservation International, the Guinean Forests of West Africa support nearly 785 bird species, of which roughly 75 species and seven genera are endemic.

About a quarter of the world's 350 species of killifish live in the region’s freshwaters, half of which are endemic. “West Africa's estimated 320 species represent more than a quarter of the roughly 1,100 total mammal species found on the entire continent of Africa. More than 60 of these mammals are endemic to the region, including 18 species of primate,” the organisation notes in its website.

“The lowland forests of West Africa are home to more than a quarter of Africa’s mammals, including more than 20 species of primates. Logging, mining, hunting and human population growth are placing extreme stress on the forests, however, threatening species such as the Jentink’s duiker, pygmy hippopotamus, and scattered populations of western chimpanzees,” it further states.

We can learn from the east and southern African countries on how to protest endengered species. South Africa has used proper regulation to keep its elephant species alive. Effective enforcement of ban enabled South Africa to grow its elephant population from 8,000 in 1995 to 18,000 in 2008.

While the role of government is crucial, conserving biodiversity is everybody’s business. I had an interesting and thought-provoking experience, during my visit to the Nairobi Wildlife Park last week. On the wall as you exit the Animal Orphanage wing is a noticeboard with the question – “Who poses the greatest threat to biodiversity?” As I was wondering who, the next line quickly offered ‘Please open to find out’. As I opened, guess who I saw – Myself.