In 2018, we studied the status and threats to pangolins in DDNP. The project continued to 2020 with
support from Idea Wild and Pittsburgh Zoo. The research provided information on pangolin ecology; and
species using camera traps (Melle et al., 2019). A wildlife inventory conducted in the park by Simo et al.
(2020), confirmed the importance of using local ecological knowledge to improve the effectiveness of
monitoring pangolins. Difouo et al., (2020) also studied pangolin nutrient source in the park. During these
field activities, we encountered planted snares, hunters’ houses, carcass of pangolins (scales and internal
organs), bullet shells, encroached farmlands, and logging activities. 

There is absence of effective
biomonitoring and surveillance to suppress these threats and ensure pangolins welfare through threat
suppression and discouraging pangolin sales in local bushmeat markets.With the influx of Central African
refugees into Eastern Cameroon, poaching and illegal wildlife trade has increased intensively affecting the
wildlife population in the park. The conservation needs across this protected area is on the rise especially
in especially through biomonitoring/ surveillance and wildlife anti-poaching patrols.This project phase will
facilitate efforts of government-supported rangers in the DDNP to engage in surveillance of pangolin,
threat suppression and awareness building which is an urgent conservation need. 

It is in response to this
increasing conservation needs and field intervention that biomonitoring and threat clampdown is
imperative; and with support from the Rufford Foundation and co-funding from MBZ, we worked with
trained local field guides with good local ecological knowledge and proven commitment in conservation to
work collaboratively with Ecoguards in obtaining information on current trapping/hunting zones in the
park, removing snares, dismantling of encroached farms and huts used by hunters during drying of killed
animals, transport routes from the forest to local markets, sensitize local community about wildlife and
environmental laws and to a greater extent, control of wildlife trade.