Animals Traded for Traditional Medicine Purposes in the Kumasi Central Market, Ghana: Conservation Implications

Abstract

The Kumasi Central Market is the largest urban open market in Ghana and animals used for medicinal purposes are among the items that are typically displayed for sale. However, no study has been undertaken on the animal species sold for traditional medicine purposes. This study took inventory of animal species traded for medicinal purposes in the Kumasi Central Market and examined their conservation implications. The species recorded to be traded comprised 5 taxonomic classes, belonging to 20 families. Chameleons were found to be the most traded animal species. Seven (23%) of the species traded were found to be threatened under IUCN Red List, with four (13%) species listed on Appendix I of CITES, and eight (26%) species on Schedule I of Wildlife Conservation Regulations of Ghana. Wildlife regulations are not serving as a deterrent to the trade in threatened animal species. There is a need to sensitize traders about the threats faced by these animal species and provide explanations as to why these species should be protected.

Exploring the Knowledge and Perceptions of Local Communities on Illegal Hunting: Long-Term Trends in a West African Protected Area

“…Illegal hunters and consumers preferred a range of animal species, notably grasscutters, bushbucks, duikers, and kobs. These targeted and preferred species, especially grasscutters, follow the pattern recorded in other parts of Ghana and West Africa, while buffalo (Syncerus caffer), pangolins (Smutsia temminckii), and baboons (Papio anubis) were amongst the least-targeted species, similarly to previous reports [53,54].…”