Bakossi National Park in collaboration with Integrated Collaboration Education Center, ICEC, has celebrated World Wildlife Day in Muetan Aku, Bangem Sub Division.
The ceremony that gathered the population of South East Cluster villages of Bakossi National Park, took place on March 2, 2024 under the theme “Connecting People and the Planet.”
Addressing the population at the ceremony, the conservator of Bakossi National Park, Tchapda Sidoine congratulated Muetan Aku as one of the villages in the South East Cluster that has recorded massive success in the activities of Bakossi National Park.
He encouraged the population to continue protecting the forest and also to avoid hunting animals, cutting down trees and setting bushes ablaze.
Tchapda further sensitized that, climate change faced by many communities today is due to deforestation, which is the cutting down of trees without replanting, causing dangers to the ecosystem. “People should avoid cutting trees in the forest. Instead you should promote afforestation by planting more trees.” The conservator cautioned.
He also mentioned services provided by the park to their villages like the provision of piglets and goats to ex poachers, the community white pepper project currently going on, the rehabilitation of water catchments and taps for good pipe borne water in villages, training of their sons and daughters in OIC Buea, sponsoring sons and daughters in the Mbalmayo Forestry School amongst others.
Tchapda added that, if the community respects the role put in place by the park, they shall continue to benefit from more development projects from the Bakossi National Park.
The Theme
The Community Development Officer, CDO of Bakossi National Park, Elvis Kome Ngome emphasized on the theme of this year’s celebration and explained that in the ecosystem, once a plant is destroyed it affects all other things found in the system.
He said everything in the system depends on one another for survival, so people should protect plants, animals and trees to preserve the community. “Once a plant is affected, the community is affected too.” The CDO added.
He thanked the African Millennium Development Network, AFRINET and WWF for their collaboration and participation.
Ngueping Samuel, WWF Landscape Officer attached to Bakossi National Park educated the population on how to preserve the park and animals in order to generate revenue in the future through tourism and other activities.
Also, the Conservation Education Officer of the Program for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, PSMNR, SWR, Chief Inyang Zachary Ekpe told the population to protect wildlife by respecting the decisions put in place by the law and to shun unsustainable agricultural practices.
Chief Ewang Tobias Ndode, Secretary General of AFRINET thanked the Bakossi National Park for choosing Muetan Aku to celebrate the World Wildlife Day. He appreciated all the athletes and cluster villages for coming out massively listen to the sensitization meeting by Bakossi National Park.
Speaking to The Ultimate, the chief of Muetan Aku, Chief Salle Philip Ngole thanked Bakossi National Park for choosing Muetan Aku in the South East Cluster for the celebration. He appreciated all the athletes who participated and advised the entire population to preserve the forest and to put into practice conservation messages from the park.
Animation
The launching was animated by numerous activities such as the marathon race, football and handball matches, ecosystem game, dancing and singing.
The marathon race had 41 athletes in participation. Ntige Elvis of Nzimbeng village emerged winner in the male competition, while Sube Malloum from Muaku came second. Nzugge Alphonse from Nzimbeng took the third position.
Meanwhile in the female category, Enang Loveline of Muetan won the first position, Senge Alice of Muetan came second, while Same Angelica took the third position.
Also in the highly animated football matches for the day, Nzimbeng hub had a one all tie with Kodmin hub in the female match. While in the male football, Nzimbeng hub trashed Kodmin hub by four goals to two. In the female handball match, Nzimbeng hub trashed Kodmin hub by a three goals to two.
Bakossi National Park is amongst the five protected areas in the South West Region that is co-financed by the German Development Bank, KFW. Others include; Korup National Park, Takamanda National Park, Mount Cameroon National Park and Bayang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary.
By Olive Ejang
