Evaluation of the Anti-Poaching Programme of the Cross River National Park Okwango Division, Nigeria 2002 to 2013

Augustine Ugar Ogogo¹, Sijah Agbor Asuk¹, Rebecca Victor Ikpeme²

¹Department of Forestry and Wildlife Resources Management, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.
²Cross River National Park Headquarters, Akamkpa, Nigeria.

DOI: 10.4236/ojf.2014.45054                

Abstract

Poaching of wildlife has continued to be the major problem confronting national parks managers in Nigeria in spite of effort being made to curb the ugly trend. This paper examined the anti-poaching programme of the Cross River National Park Okwango Division Nigeria from 2002 to 2013, with a view to making recommendations for the improvement of the programme. Focused group discussions, personal interviews, review of official records and structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Analysis of variance using randomized complete block design and student’s t-test were used to analyse data. Result showed that 1 - 5 arrests of poachers per month per patrol station was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than 6 arrests and above. On the other hand, the number of hunters’ sheds and traps destroyed had 21 and above being significantly (P < 0.05) higher than 20 and below. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the number of poachers arrested and fined between 2002 to 2006 and 2007 to 2011. The low performance of the anti-poaching programme was attributed to poorly equipped rangers’ posts as well as well the absence of alternative livelihood options in the enclave and surrounding communities. It was recommended that more rangers should be employed, and the rangers should be adequately kitted, well equipped patrol stations be constructed and the enclave and surrounding communities be involved in the management of the National Park in addition to providing them with alternative livelihood options.

Keywords

Evaluation, Anti-Poaching, Cross River National Park, Okwango, Nigeria

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Bekenov, A. B., Grachev, Iu. A., & Milner-Gulland, E. J. (1998). The Ecology and Management of the Saiga Antelope in Kazakhstan. Mammal Review, 28, 1-52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2907.1998.281024.x
[2]	Bell, R. H. V. (1984). Monitoring Illegal Activity and Law Enforcement in African Conservation Areas. In T. Holmen, J. Muya, & E. Roskaft (Eds.), Local Law Enforcement and Illegal Bushmeat Hunting Outside Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Conservation Biology (pp. 449-465). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[3]	Conservation Biology (2002). Wild-Meat Use, Food Security, Livelihoods and Conservation. Conservation Biology, 16, 580583. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.01634.x
[4]	Gibson, C. C., & Marks, S. A. (1995). Transforming Rural Hunters into Conservationists: An Assessment of CommunityBased Wildlife Management Programs in Africa. World Development, 23, 941. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(95)00025-8
[5]	Global Tree Planters Limited (2011). Participatory Management Plan of Cross River National Park 2011-2015.
[6]	Goodall, J. (2011). www.janegoodall.org
[7]	Ijeomah, H. M., Ogogo, A. U., & Ogbara, D. (2013). Analysis of Poaching Activities in Kainji Lake National Park of Nigeria. Environment and Natural Resource Research, 3, 51-61.
[8]	Jacob, D. E., & Ogogo, A. U. (2011). Community Participation in Protected Area Management: A Case Study of Cross River National Park. Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the Forestry Association of Nigeria, Osogbo, 5-10 December 2011, 412-417.
[9]	Nchor, A. A. (1996). Integrating Local Communities in the Management of Cross River National Park. In E. Obot, & J. Barker (Eds.), Essential Partnership, the Forest and the People. Proceedings of Workshop on the Rainforest of South Eastern Nigeria and South Western Cameroon (pp. 135-140), Obanliku, 20-20 October 1996.
[10]	Newmark, W. D., Foley, C. A. H., Erfimshaw, J. M., Chanbegga, D. R., & Rutazaa, A. G. (1993). Local Extinction of Large Mammals within Increasing Isolation and Forest Conservation. In W. D. Newmark (Ed.), The Conservation of Mount Kilimanjaro (pp. 25-46). IUCN, Gland.