The distribution and number of forest dwelling elephants in extreme southeastern Cameroon

Abstract

The forests of southeastern Cameroon may contain some of the largest and least disturbed populations of rainforest mammals in Central Africa, but there is no effective protected status and wildlife is increasingly threatened by poorly conceived logging practices and excessive hunting. During ground transect studies in three areas within the region, intended to propose boundaries of a series of regional reserves and to provide data on the number and distribution of elephants a density of 4.64 elephants per sq km was noted in one, the Lake Lobeke area. Recommendations include the establishment of a minimum of two protected areas in Molondou Subdivision; one encompassing the general area of the Lake Lobeke and Mongokele study sites and the other on the proposed Boumba Bek Forest Reserve.