CONSERVATION PROBLEM

The Bafing river basin is a rich area for biodiversity. However, humans have placed pressure on this environment, leading to poor living conditions for leopards in the area. Habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and prey depletion constantly threaten this species, which is worsened by the international traffic of leopard skin. As a result, the Guinean government decided to create a new protected area. The Moyen Bafing National Park is meant to be a refuge connected to neighbouring forests and to a broader network of protected asreas.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Reduce poaching of leopards and their prey species by 75%;
• Reforest the park and neighbouring areas;
• Improve and rehabilitate the public perception of the park;
• Create a co-management process for the park’s natural resources between the local community and specially appointed committees.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

• Identify and map areas with a high risk and concentration of hunting activities;
• Produce awareness posters against leopard poaching and develop an educational program for the local community;
• Carry out studies on human-big cat interaction;
• Create five seedling nurseries and organize reforestation campaigns;
• Build the capacity of the local community to support the management of the park’s natural resources.

This project is a part of the IUCN SOS African Wildlife initiative, which is funded by the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DG Devco) through its B4Life initiative.