WILDLIFE PREDATOR METAMORPHOSED INTO WILDLIFE PROTECTOR

Change they say is the only constant thing in life. Who could ever imagine that this die-heart Bechati Trapper/hunter, Jacob Adong, earning a daily income of not less than 12,000 FCFA from wildlife sales, will ever retreat from hunting talk less of becoming a wildlife conservation advocate? The 40-year-old field guide with the Environment and Rural Development Foundation, ERuDeF, describes his old lifestyle as a hunter/trapper, the circumstances surrounding his transformation and his new lifestyle as a wildlife conservation advocate.

“I started hunting at the age of 18; going to the bush with dogs, trapping, chasing and killing animals like rat mold, squirrel, porcupines, and many others. Two years after, I realized that hunting with a dog was not really lucrative as some of the animals were either more powerful than my dogs or out of their reach (on trees in the forest). Thus, the next option was to learn how to hunt using guns. In my search for this, I came across one ardent hunter, Pa Ngwetek Temboh (of blessed memory) who taught me how to hunt with a gun: he drew a little circle on a tree some 50 meters away, took a gun and gave me to sight and shoot into it. I did as he instructed continually for about 5 times or so and he congratulated me saying “my son, you are ripe for the job”. I took the gun home to prepare for my maiden outing” Mr. Adong narrated.

The hunter/trapper emeritus went ahead to describe his maiden outing with a gun “my first hunting venture with a gun was around December 1993. I set out at 7 PM that is when places were very dark and hit under a tree, as per the instructions of my mentor (Pa Ngwetek Temboh of blessed memory). After close to an hour, I got the sound of movement and immediately shone my touch light in that direction. The touch light got directly into the eyes of an animal and from the reaction of its eyes, I knew it was a porcupine and immediately pulled the trigger giving the animal RIP (Rest in Peace). This first success gave me more courage, that I finally backed home that day with three healthy animals, which by me was very awesome for a start. I then realized that hunting with the gun was more lucrative than with dogs. I was therefore out in the forest with hundreds of other colleagues killing animals like chuku-chuku Beef (Porcupine), Fontambo (Duiker), Monkeys, Pangolin, Bush Baby (Galago senegalensis) squirrels and many others. Little did I know that some of these animals have been declared as protected species by both national and international laws until I came in contact with ERuDeF in 2004”.

Mr. Adong’s encounter with ERuDeF brought about a complete transformation both of mindset and attitude toward wildlife in the Tofala Proposed Wildlife Sanctuary as he further narrated “ In 2004, ERuDeF came into our community, organized several meetings and seminars and educated us on some protected animal species and the importance of conserving them. It was only then that I understood the legal implication of our action and the fact that some of the animals we have been killing like Bush Baby (Galago senegalensis), Pangolin, and monkey amongst others were protected species. I equally came to understand that Chimpanzees and Gorillas were also protected species (though I never killed throughout my hunting career). This, coupled with the fact that I want my children to grow up and also see these animals physically, made me vowed never to kill these animals again”

“After some time, ERuDeF made me one of her Field Guides; I take ERuDeF’s Partners and Volunteers to the forest; track feeding signs, nests etc of Gorillas and Chimpanzees and report to ERuDeF” he further revealed. The ERuDeF field guide added that his change in hunting lifestyle is posing a threat to his former colleagues, who either hide the animals or run into hiding each time they see him approaching.

Mr. Adong, however, posits that he has sensitized most of his former colleagues in this area on the need to conserve these animal species to an extent that many of them are willing to desist from hunting these protected wildlife species if ERuDeF “ Negotiates with them”.