No pictures today as we will touch briefly on the issue of illegal bushmeat and gather much of the information from the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force (BCTF). This will be just an introduction and then we can steer you to more detailed websites for information.
Bushmeat is simply defined as meat that comes from the “bush” and in Africa this means the forests. For generations, local communities carried out subsistence hunting, gathering animals as needed as a vital protein source. But at some point the hunting of bushmeat went from sustainable to the “Bushmeat Crisis”. It is defined on the BCTF website as “Commercial, illegal and unsustainable hunting for the meat of wild animals is causing widespread local extinctions in Asia and West Africa. It is a crisis because of rapid expansion to countries and species which were previously not at risk, largely due to an increase in commercial logging, with an infrastructure of roads and trucks that links forests and hunters to cities and consumers.”
Gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, forest antelope, crocodiles, monkeys, birds, buffalo, hippo’s…are all taken as part of the trade, endangered species – protected or not. Again directly from the BCTF website: Though habitat loss is often cited as the primary threat to wildlife, commercial hunting for the meat of wild animals has become the most significant immediate threat to the future of wildlife in Africa and around the world; it has already resulted in widespread local extinctions in Asia and West Africa. This threat to wildlife is a crisis because it is rapidly expanding to countries and species which were previously not at risk, largely due to an increase in commercial logging, with an infrastructure of roads and trucks that links forests and hunters to cities and consumers. The bushmeat crisis is a human tragedy as well: the loss of wildlife threatens the livelihoods and food security of indigenous and rural populations most depend on wildlife as a staple or supplement to their diet, and bushmeat consumption is increasingly linked to deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and Foot and Mouth disease.
Simply stated – if one village or community hunts wildlife as a sustainable resource, there are opportunities to protect endangered species and protect habitats. When wildlife is taken illegally, in mass quantity not for personal use but to sell for profit, and shipped across country borders, it is no longer sustainable.
Take a few minutes to learn about the issues facing wildlife not in only in Africa, but Asia and other developing nations at the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force website http://www.bushmeat.org
I will just add here that last year, nearly 300,000 pounds of Bushmeat was confiscated being flown into the US illegally. The problem is not simply related to only developing nations.
Tomorrow’s Gorilla Blog : A War for Wildlife
*This is part 8/10 in our Membership Giveaway. Post a comment here and on at least 2 other mt gorilla blogs to enter to win a free Zoo membership.
Bushmeat is reprehensible. Additionally, from what I understand, those buying bushmeat may not even know what kind it is as it’s often unidentifiable pieces. So trying to justify eating it and saying it wasn’t gorilla or something endangered doesn’t even beign to cut it. But even if you don’t buy bushmeat and never will, we can all help by being proactive. Buy handicrafts/fair trade items so locals don’t go hunting for bushmeat to sell!
I had no idea that bushmeat consumption was linked to AIDS! It really makes me want to look at what more I can give to feed the people of Africa. I wish there were a way to hault such a thing and raise awareness in the people-there’s language barriers, the feeling of their homes beeing terrorized, travel costs, and finding an alternative solution without starving.
I hope that there is a solution while I am here on Earth.
Wow. So we have indigenous people that are fighting for their existence. We have a logging industry that is not minding how its actions are effecting the region. We have people that are hunting bushmeat for profit. If we can help the indigenous people hunt for food that is not threatened or even cultivate food in away that does not further dmage the habitat that could redce one stress. If we could plead to the logging companies better side and help them figure out ways of doing their work so that it is sprofitble but not so devastating that sould reduce abother stress. As for the for profit bushmeat, I think we need to take page from Steve Irwin and get people to “love” these animals. Hopefully people would then feelcompelled to call out those invovled. They would need to be thrown in jail if possible. Have all their equipment confiscated so that their financial set back would hopefully steer them in other directions for making money.
to think that bushmeat is entering the US, is sickening. There should be a world-wide collaborative effort in order to decrease the sell of bushmeat for profit.
I suppose there are some real reasons (doesn’t make them right) as to why people in those regions feel that they need bush meat. With that I feel there is a means to help, like other posters said; donate food/money, buy fair trade goods and coffee.
However the fact that there is a demand for bush meat in western countries is very disconcerting. Is there a better way to stop the black market for bush meat in, what I imagine are large US cities?
This is horrible I had no idea the deadly viruses are linked from these types of acts. I guess I am naive to the consumption of wildlife I never knew people actually ate gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, forest antelope, crocodiles. etc. These blogs are really informative and would like to see them continue.
Is education the answer?
Thanks so much for highlighting this issue on the Houston Zoo blog! There is a lot of information – including possible solutions and some terrific projects – available at the BCTF website. Please visit and get involved!
This is a very interesting article and I never knew about this problem. Thanks for the information.
One interesting piece of the puzzle here is that the bushmeat trade grows with infrastructure. Sometimes people think that you can build a road through a wilderness area and pull it off without any complications. This is a perfect example of one: even if the logging company abides by all the local laws and regulations, the very fact that roads now connect the cities and the deep wilderness makes poaching that much easier. In practice, that means the amount of poaching greatly increases. As the BCTF web page makes clear, these subtle connections can have a huge impact on local wildlife. It just goes to show that, when contemplating development, you have to consider all the angles, not just the obvious ones.
The thought that people are doing this for profit, and not for survival, is absolutely disgusting. Why is it even entering the US? Who is it going to? People need to be educated to understand both the sustainability of wildlife, as well as the dangers of eating infected meats.