In the Congo Forest Basin, hunting provides a major source of protein for rural household consumption. In the context of increasing urbanisation, an understanding of bushmeat consumption in urban settings is needed to both address food security issues and design biodiversity conservation strategies. This paper provides insights into bushmeat con- sumption patterns in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, through an analysis of household expenditures and market prices. A survey of approximately 4,000 households combined with 3 years (2005-2008) of mar- ket price monitoring was used to estimate the consumption of bushmeat and alternative proteins. The results showed the presence of a diverse range of animal proteins on the Ban- gui market, including meat from domestic and wild animals. The taxonomic composition of the bushmeat mainly included common, sed- entary wildlife species that are highly resilient to hunting pressure, while protected species were rarelyobserved. The householdconsump- tion survey showed that 54% of daily meals contained beef, 35% contained fish and 19% contained bushmeat. Fish and bushmeat con- sumption decreased in the rainy season, and caterpillar consumption increased. Smoked proteins (bushmeat, fish), were cheaper than all fresh meat except for caterpillars. The con- sumption of proteins and bushmeat increased with wealth; fresh proteins were consumed more by wealthy consumers, while smoked bushmeat was consumed by the poorest. Total consumption of protein and bushmeat was highest in rich households, but the rela- tive proportion of bushmeat in the total pro- tein intake was highest for poor households. Overall, the results confirm the importance of bushmeat in the diet of urban consumers, especially in poor households. However, the patterns of consumption suggest that bush- meat is less popular than alternatives, which may potentially limit an increase in bushmeat consumption, particularly if cheaper, alterna- tive meat can be made available.
In several regions of the Congo Basin the call of an endangered duiker is traditionally used by hunters to attract animals. We explore the possibility to standardize this call method to improve day time transect counts. Our study shows that the call is particularly efficient for the most common duiker species [Philantomba monticola (previously Cephalophus monticola), Cephalophus callipygus and Cephalophus dorsalis]. The call increases the number of direct sightings in secondary forests and counterbalances the bias caused by vegetation density in classic day time counts. The method is more effective during the first 4 min of the call and from 9.00 to 11.00 hours, particularly during the dry season. Hunting using the call does not significantly increase the sex bias (more males killed) obtained without the call. Compared with day time visual counts, the call method ensures a more reliable species identification because animals are better seen and for a longer time. Derived from a traditional practice, the call can be easily appropriated by local communities in participatory duiker surveys. However, the method is not recommended when multi-species surveys are to be carried out or when densities are to be estimated because the area surveyed per unit call is unknown.
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