Using local ecological knowledge to improve the effectiveness of detecting white‐bellied pangolins (<i>Phataginus tricuspis</i>) using camera traps: A case study from Deng‐Deng National Park, Cameroon

Simo, Franklin T.; Difouo, Ghislain F.; Kekeunou, Sévilor; Ichu, Ichu G.; Ebong, Lionel Esong; Olson, David M.; Ingram, Daniel J.

doi:10.1111/aje.12762

Cited by 9 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 16 publications

(27 reference statements)

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“…Our study also recorded several other species using logs as travel routes, such as the African golden cat Caracal aurata which had five out of nine African golden cat detections on logs. This may be because traversing logs may be a good hunting strategy either because it facilitates travel in dense understory or because it reduces noise and the likelihood of being detected by prey species (see Simo et al, 2020 ). Logs have also been shown to act as ecological corridors for wildlife, connecting terrestrial habitats across streams (Trevarrow & Arismendi, 2022 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…'Ground‐viewing' cameras were strapped to trees at a height of 30–40 cm above the ground level, suitable for small‐to‐medium‐sized mammals (Amin et al, 2015 ; Bruce et al, 2018 ). These camera‐traps were placed at ground‐level areas showing visible/suspected signs of the white‐bellied pangolin activities, namely feeding sites on trees, feeding sites on the ground, burrows in the ground, and cavities in trees (see Simo et al, 2020 for details of these sites).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…'Log‐viewing' camera‐traps were placed so that they were pointed at fallen logs and were deployed at different heights according to the adjacent tree trunk diameter, but all camera‐traps were 30 cm above the top of the fallen log (Simo et al, 2020 ). Selection of fallen tree trunks at which camera‐traps were pointed was based on the presence of signs of animal activities on the upper side, such as scat, scratches, disturbed surfaces, and excavations.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Camera‐traps targeting fallen logs have been shown to produce significant improvements in the detection of several North American focal species, including arboreal species (Kolowski & Forrester, 2017 ). A preliminary camera‐trapping survey targeting several types of possible pangolin activity sites identified by local guides' shows that targeting logs initially appears to be a useful tactic to increase chances of detecting the presence of white‐bellied pangolins in tropical forest habitats (Simo et al, 2020 ). Ichu ( 2022 ) also used a log‐based placement to record the white‐bellied pangolin in Cameroon but did not specifically look at the difference with traditional ground‐viewing camera‐trapping.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Adapting camera‐trap placement based on animal behavior for rapid detection: A focus on the Endangered, white‐bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis)

Simo

Difouo

Kekeunou

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Pangolin species are notoriously difficult to detect and monitor in the wild and, as a result, commonly used survey techniques fall short in gathering sufficient data to draw confident conclusions on pangolin populations, conservation status, and natural history. The white‐bellied pangolin is a semiarboreal species that may be poorly detected in general mammal surveys even with modern techniques such as camera‐trapping. As a result, population status information is often derived from hunting, market, and trafficking data. There is therefore a crucial need to improve camera‐trap survey methods to reliably detect this species in its natural environment. Here, we test the influence of camera‐trap placement strategy on the detectability of the white‐bellied pangolin by comparing estimates from targeted ground‐viewing camera‐trapping and a novel log‐viewing placement strategy adapted from local hunters' knowledge. Our results suggest that (1) deploying camera‐traps to detect animals walking along logs is an effective strategy for recording several forest species, including the white‐bellied pangolin, and (2) that camera‐traps targeting logs are more efficient at detecting white‐bellied pangolins than camera‐traps viewing the ground (>100% increase in detection probability). We also found moderate evidence that there is a relationship between the white‐bellied pangolin occurrence at our locality and elevation and weak evidence of an association with distance to the nearest river. Our results suggest an effective new monitoring approach allowing consistent detection of the white‐bellied pangolin with moderate survey effort. This highlights the importance of harnessing local knowledge to guide the design of monitoring protocols for cryptic species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Adapting camera‐trap placement based on animal behavior for rapid detection: A focus on the Endangered, white‐bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis)

Simo

Difouo

Kekeunou

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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“…We surveyed the forest and the FSM of DDNP and MDNP (Figure 1c,f) between 2018 and 2020 using camera traps (see Table 1 for details on survey periods and efforts). Our survey was designed to monitor pangolin presence and behaviour (see Simo et al, 2020). For this purpose, camera traps were set at sites where pangolin were thought to be active based on feeding signs, scat and or stakes at a height of 30-45 cm above the ground level suitable for smaller-to medium-sized terrestrial mammals (Amin et al, 2015;Bruce, Amin, et al, 2018;Bruce, Ndjassi, et al, 2018)…”

Section: Camera Trappingmentioning

confidence: 99%

African golden cat and serval in forest–savannah transitions in Cameroon

et al. 2021

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African golden cats (Caracal aurata Temminck, 1827; hereafter, 'golden cat') occur in the forests and forest-savannah mosaics (hereafter, 'FSM') of West and Central Africa (Bahaa-el-din et al., 2015). Another medium-sized wild felid, the serval (Leptailurus [Caracal] serval Schreber, 1776), occurs in well-watered savannah and long-grass environments that are widespread across sub-Saharan Africa (Figure 1a; Thiel, 2019). Golden cats and servals are closely related felids (Johnson et al., 2006), deriving from a common ancestor approximately 5.4 million years ago (O'Brien & Johnson, 2007). They are known to be sympatric only within a small portion of their collective geographic range, including in the Central African Republic (Hickisch & Aebischer, 2013), in the FSM of the western Congo Basin (Henschel et al., 2014) and in Uganda (Mills et al., 2019). Within the forest zone of Cameroon, camera-trap surveys have provided evidence of the golden cat in Mpem et Djim National

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Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central Cameroon

Fotsing,

Kamkeng,

Zinner

2024

People and Nature

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Local ecological knowledge (LEK), tied to specific cultures, is crucial for sustainability in conservation initiatives. Therefore, including holders of this knowledge in management decisions is essential. Collecting protected area‐specific data on local people's attitudes, opinions and perceptions towards wildlife, especially for highly threatened species like great apes, is therefore crucial for effective conservation. This study emphasizes the importance of LEK as an interdisciplinary approach, highlighting its essential role in informing conservation decisions and understanding human–environment interactions. To fill the information gap on the LEK on the Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzee in central Cameroon, we used questionnaires to assess the LEK of respondents specifically their perceptions, opinions and attitudes towards the population trend of chimpanzees, as well as their opinion about the current management systems of Mpem and Djim National Park. We collect data from 240 respondents in 15 villages in the neighbourhood of the park. Using generalized linear mixed models, we were also able to assess socioeconomic and demographic factors that correlate with the opinions, attitudes and perceptions of the respondents towards chimpanzee conservation. About 87% of the respondents exhibited good knowledge about chimpanzees and 59% reported taboos related to chimpanzees. About 94% were aware of laws that prohibit the hunting of chimpanzees, while 87% agreed that it is a good initiative to conserve chimpanzees, and 42% reported that their population increased. Almost half (52%) of the respondents said they were satisfied with the current park management system. Age, gender, education level, number of children in the household and time spent in the community were predictors that influenced the attitude, opinion and perception of the respondents while occupation and the geographic distance between the village and the park did not. Our findings suggest that raising awareness of human–chimpanzee coexistence through adult education programmes should target specific demographic groups, such as those with larger families, limited education, older age, individuals with lower LEK or native. These findings brought insights to guide future studies and should be taken into account when discussing regional management. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Using local ecological knowledge to improve the effectiveness of detecting white‐bellied pangolins (Phataginus tricuspis) using camera traps: A case study from Deng‐Deng National Park, Cameroon

Cited by 9 publications

References 16 publications

Adapting camera‐trap placement based on animal behavior for rapid detection: A focus on the Endangered, white‐bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis)

Adapting camera‐trap placement based on animal behavior for rapid detection: A focus on the Endangered, white‐bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis)

African golden cat and serval in forest–savannah transitions in Cameroon

Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central Cameroon

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