The aerial survey presented in this report represents the start of a new phase in the assessment and management of biodiversity and its threats across the landscape incorporating Bouba N’djida, Benoue and Faro National Parks (NPs) in northern Cameroon and Sena Oura in neighbouring Chad. Historical aerial surveys across this area have demonstrated the existence of an important elephant population and various other large mammal species such as giant eland, giraffe and buffalo (Omondi et al 2008). In the period since 2008, elephant poaching pressure has increased dramatically and this was demonstrated in the widely reported massacre of hundreds of elephants in Bouba N’djida National Park (NP) in 2012 at the hands of well-armed foreign poachers (Nouredine 2012). This situation has been driven by the absence of an effective conservation presence across the north of Cameroon over recent years and further exacerbated by regional conflict dynamics. In the context of evolving threats and the long-duration since the latest wildlife survey across the landscape, there is a strong need to develop an up-to-date understanding of conservation priorities for this area.
The overall goal of this baseline aerial survey was to gather comprehensive information on the population status and spatial distribution of elephants, other large mammals and human activity across the Bouba N’djida-Sena Oura, Benoue and Faro NPs and adjacent safari hunting zones at the landscape scale to inform management interventions. This information will facilitate an assessment of the impacts of a rapidly changing human geography and allow for the identification of species and area targets in need of improved protection. It will also support efforts to update and refine elephant population estimates for the entire Sudano-Sahelian range and catalyze targeted law enforcement and robust protected area management programs to secure the remaining elephant populations.