Archive for the ‘Communities’ Category
Whenever I try to explain my address to one of the many bike taxi’s in Calabar, I simply have to say “Dat monkey place” and the driver immediately knows exactly where to take me. In the local area we are definitely best known for our monkey rehabilitation and education work, but people are less aware that we also protect prime rainforest habitat. Protecting rainforest in Cross River is vital, not only to preserve the immense biodiversity of the region, but also to safeguard the livelihoods of human populations.
In communities such as Iko Esai, that are heavily dependent on the forest for survival, conversion can have devastating consequences, particularly for the poorest families. As such residents are working with CERCOPAN to develop and implement a Land Use Management Plan (LUMP) to conserve their forest for both immediate use and the benefit of future generations. The 12,000 hectare forest area is home to elephant, red river hog, drill monkeys, bushbabies, guenons, buffalo and Situnga among many other species both large and small. In fact, only a few weeks ago I almost tripped over a Pangolin whilst using the light from a mobile phone to sleepily navigate my way to the camp toilet!
The Iko Esai Land Use Management Plan includes 4 zones; a core area (400ha), research area (2600ha), conservation area (12,000ha) and a sustainable management (for local timber extraction)/farming zone (approximately 8000ha). Whilst non timber forest products such as bush mango and snails can be collected in the research and conservation areas, all forms of exploitation in the core area are prohibited. This policy is upheld by Esira, Igwe, Obun and Gabriel, who patrol the area on a shift basis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each member of the patrol team was once an Iko Esai hunter who has been re-trained by CERCOPAN to protect the very species that he once sought to kill.
It is very rare that hunters enter the core area, but even if they simply pass through, the chiefs council takes the matter very seriously. In fact, the last person caught walking within the core at night was fined two bunches of plantain, one crate of beer, two bottles of local gin and a goat! The monkey hunting ban is taken even more seriously as you can hear from the clipping from a speech made by the traditional ruler of Iko Esai that I have included below. Thankfully, not a single person has been found hunting or in possession of a dead monkey since the onset of the ban in 2006. chief-owai.mov
In the future, we hope to develop similar agreements with the communities immediately neighbouring Iko Esai. This move would offer the potential to protect over 40,000 ha of habitat bordering the entire western flank of the Cross River National park. The National Park is home to over 199 species, including Leopard, Chimpanzee and the most endangered of all African primates; the Cross River Gorilla. By providing a buffer to the park we would effectively help to protect all of these species and to maintain the integrity of this globally important conservation area.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from all of the staff and Volunteers at CERCOPAN!
A couple of days ago I was handed a letter from the Conservation club of Agoi Ibami. I found it very touching and would like to share it with you. “Community secondary school, Agoi Ibami gives Kudos to CERCOPAN The popularity of the school conservation club started when it participated in the CERCOPAN banner contest. In this contest, the school took first position. The club members were given certificate of participation and trips to Calabar and Rhoko Camp were also arranged for the conservation club members. This trip afforded the club members to see live monkeys in cages in Calabar and monkeys in the wild in Rhoko Camp. The educational unit of CERCOPAN also organised intra school debate. This contest afforded the students the opportunity to speak in public as well as added something to their curriculum. One of the most interesting activities that CERCOPAN ever organised was the release of Mona monkeys. The monkeys that gain their freedom were happy but the organisations, schools and personalities that graced the occasion were happier. To drive home their happiness, all of the speeches that were rendered borded on how to promote as well as embrace conservation of Nature and Primates. The school conservation clubs that were present displays, drama, quiz and display of word cards. All of these school activities were all aimed at exposing the damage inherent in destruction of nature without replacement. The climax was “All should promote conservation”. The good works of CERCOPAN must not be wasted. To this end the youths, the stakeholders, farmers and all of the forest users should hear and understand the language of conservation and the ban on killing of monkeys”
The reason that this letter struck a particular chord with me was that it proved others had been similarly affected by the release occasion. As conservationists, it can be easy to become overwhelmed and disillusioned by the magnitude of the task we set ourselves. It is sometimes difficult to see how we will ever make a difference when despite monumental effort by people around the world, forests and animals continue to disappear and attitudes often remain unchanged. The release occasion was special to me because for the first time ever, I no longer felt the aim of my job was to stall for time in the hope that circumstances would change before nothing was left. I felt as though we had changed circumstances, we were winning and that all of our hard work was truly worthwhile.
When CERCOPAN first began working with the village of Iko Esai in 2000, monkeys were hunted, the forest was being logged and conservation was a word that people simply didn’t use. Seven years on, the 300ha core area is fully protected from all forms of exploitation, the village have imposed a ban on hunting monkeys and conservation is becoming a part of daily life. On the 9th November we organised an occasion in the village to mark the release of three mona monkeys into the core area. The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the release project within Iko Esai and in the neighbouring communities of Owai, Agoi Ibami, Ekperem and Ifumpka. Although we set an agenda, we gave the villages’ free reign to present whatever deemed appropriate.
It is difficult to select one particular part of the release occasion that affected me most, to be quite frank there were just so many memorable moments. It could have been when the Igban dancers presented “Allow monkey to live”, or when the children cautioned through drama and song that they would be left with nothing if destructive activities were allowed to continue. I certainly had tears in my eyes when person after person, from village after village, stood up and proclaimed the desperate need to protect their natural heritage. In the end however, I believe the greatest impact for me was hearing a crowd of over a thousand people from many different communities all chanting “Allow monkey to live” in unison. When you spend each day working to protect and conserve primates, what could ever mean more than that? Please click on the small video clip below to view an impassioned speech on the release occasion.
There are many components which have contributed to the success of our community programme, but the most important has been establishing royalties, community development projects and employment. In 2006, we started the sustainable livelihoods program in Iko Esai and worked with the youth association to sponsor 9 men and 9 women in alternative livelihood apprenticeships (driving, sewing, baking). We also trained and sponsored 4 groups of men and women for training in snail farming, bread baking workshops and small business development.
Bread making training in Iko Esai Our latest project is to build a community centre in the village. The centre will include a visitor area, small library with reading rooms and a classroom/ meeting room. We hope to hold adult literacy classes at night (after people have returned from farm), health seminars about HIV and the benefits of clean water etc and sustainable livelihoods training. The centre will also be used as a centre for conservation education where we will offer lectures and show films about wildlife. When I first announced the building of the community centre to the Chiefs council a few months ago, everyone became deadly quiet. After a few moments the clan head, Chief Etan spoke and said “Sometimes it is impossible to put into words how you feel”. He then disappeared and was away quite some time before returning with a grin on his face brandishing a large bunch of bananas. In my own country we say it with flowers, but it seems in Iko Esai, when words are simply not enough, you say it with bananas.
Members of the Chiefs Council - Centre Chief Owai, (Traditional ruler), Left Chief Etan (Clan Head) A couple of days ago, Chief Etan and Chief Owai (the traditional ruler) took me to visit the land that they are donating for the centre. It was difficult to tell which of us was most excited. Obviously it will be a long process and this was only the first step, but from small beginnings big things can grow. We are now seeking funds in order to complete the centre, watch this space over the coming months to read about our progress.
Claire, Richard and Mike (Community Liaison Officer) visiting the new Community Centre site
This is me, Claire Coulson, Deputy Director transferring Mickey and Big Qua to their outdoor enclosure. CERCOPAN is dedicated to primate conservation through the rehabilitation of endangered primates, environmental education, forest protection, and research. CERCOPAN’s Director Zena Tooze, founded the project in 1995. Based in Calabar, Cross River State, CERCOPAN is now a non-governmental non-profit organisation with charity registration in the UK and in progress in Nigeria. The forest site at Rhoko (near the host community of Iko Esai) is a Centre for Research, Education and Conservation and isnow also growing ecotourism destination. FOREST CONSERVATION CERCOPAN has secured the protection of over 20,000 hectares of tropical rainforest in partnership with the local community—Nigeria has lost over 90% of its rainforests and more than half of the remaining 10% is found within Cross River State. These forests, along with those in Southwest Cameroon, are collectively known as the “Cross River Rainforests”, and are regarded as one of Africa’s 5 forest biodiversity hotspots. RESCUE AND REHABILITATION OF FOREST PRIMATES
Mona monkey mottie when he arrived on 05/03/07
Mottie on 12/04/07 after only one month of care at Cercopan
CERCOPAN has over 150 primates of 6 different species in various stages of rehabilitation, most of them orphaned by the bush meat trade. Three of these (the Sclater’s guenon, Preuss’ guenon and the red-eared guenon)are endangered and only found in this region of Africa. They represent the future for /in situ /captive breeding in these highly endangered primates. These primates serve as a focus for education, and act as ambassadors for conservation. Due to the illegal bushmeat trade combined with CERCOPAN’s very successful education campaign, more and more primates enter the gates of CERCOPAN every month. Consequently the primate rehabilitation facilities at Rhoko and Calabar are full. CERCOPAN plans to expand their facilities on a new site, building more enclosures and a larger education centre in the near future to meet this demand. On the 1st November 2007 history was made by CERCOPAN. 3 Mona guenons were released (with radio tracking collars) into the core protected area at Rhoko, our forest site where biodiversity and primate research is carried out. These were the first ever primates to be released in West Africa (and our research assistants are following them and collecting data). This exciting data will help with subsequent releases CERCOPAN is planning over the next few years. EDUCATION Education is an integral and vital part of our programme, both in rural and urban environments. Each term we conduct outreach programmes in over 50 schools and 2 universities. Conservation Clubs are functioning in 4 schools and 2 universities. CERCOPAN also has a Calabar-based conservation club since 2003 comprising of over 25 members. The group consists of highly motivated and interested students from secondary schools in Calabar. CERCOPAN receives over 30,000 visitors a year at Calabar and Rhoko. Depending on the age and understanding of the visitor, the goal is for visitors to take away a few simple messages about conservation and primates.
Senior Education Officer, Jerry teaching children about the importance of conservation
COMMUNITY CONSERVATION THROUGH DEVELOPMENT We firmly believe in working closely and cooperatively with our host community and their neighbours. CERCOPAN strives to ensure excellent community relations through a regular community newsletter and the employment of several staff dedicated to community development including a Community Programme Officer, Education Assistant and Small Scale Micro-enterprise advisor. In addition, twenty one of our thirty five Nigerian staff are from Iko Esai. CERCOPAN has begun working with three main target groups in the community; women, youths and hunters, helping them to earn an alternative income. These micro-enterprises will include activities such as snail farming, bee keeping, bread making and basket weaving and will be at a very local, low cost level providing a source of food for the community. |
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