Paul Rodrigue Ngafack
- Project name: Assessing the distribution and threats on the West African manatee in Cameroon
- Project site: Lake Ossa Wildlife Reserve, Cameroon
- EDGE species: African manatee Trichechus senegalensis
- Active: 2014 - 2017
Biography
With an MSc from Dschang University, Paul’s thesis focused on manatee research and conservation in Lake Ossa Wildlife Reserve in Cameroon. Paul has been working on marine mammal research, conservation and education projects in Cameroon since 2011, with the African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization (AMMCO).
EDGE Project
During his EDGE Fellowship Paul:
- Developed and implemented a multi-stakeholder conservation strategy for the manatee in Cameroon;
- Mapped the current distribution and encounter rates of manatees in the coastal zone of Cameroon in order to identify and protect areas with high existing concentrations of manatees;
- Compared habitat characteristics of areas with high/low manatee encounter rates to determine habitat preferences and identified areas that should be prioritised for conservation/restoration;
- Monitored manatee strandings and bycatch and determined causes of mortalities;
- Increased awareness of the West African manatee amongst local populations and universities and built capacity through training at least two university students in manatee survey techniques.
Project Gallery
