Our EDGE Fellow John Konie monitors the pygmy hippopotamus and other threatened mammal species in Liberia. He has sent us the following information about Sapo National Park, where he carries out his monitoring work:
Sapo National Park, Liberia’s first national park, is under serious threat from poachers. Quite recently, about 27 bodies of various animal species were confiscated by rangers from a meat trader within a town located near the park. Hunting and mining are order of the day by poachers within and around the park; thus, posing serious threat to biodiversity of the park.
Despite these threats, bio-monitoring and camera trapping programmes are succeeding. In recent times, camera trapping was done in one zone of the park. Various species of duikers and other interesting animal species’ photos were captured.
According to rangers assigned with the park, during their regular monthly patrols, tracks and faeces of pygmy hippo are often seen, and hippos are occasionally seen.
During the bio-monitoring exercise in May of this year, we were fortunate to have seen zebra duiker, Jentink’s duiker, bongo, chimpanzee, pygmy hippo and different monkey species.
Indeed, the park is home to important animal species that need serious conservation attention, especially the pygmy hippo.
If you would like to support John Konie’s pygmy hippopotamus monitoring work in Sapo National Park, please click here.