Ebola: Increase in poaching calls for concern

The concern about the risk of Ebola in Cameroon is consistent with the resurgent consumption of bushmeat banned in the country since the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

After Liberia and Sierra Leone, Guinea finally celebrated her victory against the Ebola virus disease, which has left thousands dead in two years, a few days ago.

Should the epidemic be apparently eradicated in West Africa, there has been the fear of seeing a resurgence in the trade of bushmeat during the celebration of Christmas and New Year according to the Cameroonian authorities.

Almost a hundred of animal carcasses like Monkeys, turtles, porcupines, pangolins, crocodiles, monitor lizards, among others which were sold unlawfully, was recently seized by the security forces in Douala, sources said.

"These animals, classified protected species in Cameroon, which were seized in two major markets in the city, while traders were preparing to sell to households for the end of year celebrations, are naturally derived from poaching," explained Eitel Pandong, representative of the Ministry in charge of wildlife in Douala.

Poaching scourge is widespread in Cameroon (more than 450 elephants have also been slaughtered by poachers in 2014, for their tusks, according to the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife) and the problem is that the situation has worsened even after medical sources have proven that bushmeat is a real reservoir of Ebola virus.

"The consumption of bushmeat has been banned for more than a year in Cameroon because it is a potential vector of transmission of the Ebola virus, the hemorrhagic fever that hit neighbouring countries. But we see that, in recent months, the bushmeat sector is again supplied through poaching. It is a disturbing fact since the threat of Ebola is not yet completely ruled out," said Pandong.

The prohibition of the consumption of such meat has not yet been lifted. "We will increase public awareness and seizures of illegal meat to be incinerated. The punch operations will be intensified, and poachers will be imprisoned," warned Pandong.

On the other hand, the people, who are fond of bushmeat, say there is the need for a "protein intake" and it is "therapeutic". According to them, this prohibited meat performs that role.

The first case of Ebola was officially detected in Guinea in March 2014. The epidemic has been classified as an unprecedented scale by the World Health Organization (WHO). It has caused more than 11,000 deaths in West Africa out of nearly 30,000 confirmed cases.

Cameroon has managed to avoid the spread of the disease on its territory with strict vigilance but today the risk reappears especially that the virus does not disappear even after cooking, according to scientists.