Ecological, Historical, Economic, and Political Factors Shaping the Human–Gorilla Interface in the Mone-Oku Forest, Cameroon
Cross River gorillas are the least numerous of the African ape taxa. Since their rediscovery, several organisations have sought to conserve these critically endangered apes, resulting in a “crisis conservation narrative” focused on the threats posed by local human activities. However, landscapes are...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/4/175 |
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| author | Alison H. Wade Nicholas Malone |
| author_facet | Alison H. Wade Nicholas Malone |
| author_sort | Alison H. Wade |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cross River gorillas are the least numerous of the African ape taxa. Since their rediscovery, several organisations have sought to conserve these critically endangered apes, resulting in a “crisis conservation narrative” focused on the threats posed by local human activities. However, landscapes are not just ecological, they are also social, shaped by political and economic processes. This study examines the interconnections between humans and gorillas by approaching the Mone-Oku forest as a combination of ecological, social, and political systems. Through a combined use of botanical surveys, analyses of nesting sites, participant observation, and semistructured interviews, we obtained nuanced ecological and ethnographic insights into the human–gorilla interface. The results illustrate a history of alterations within the Mone-Oku forest, some of which are human-induced. These alterations have had both positive and negative outcomes for the gorillas and continue to the present day, where political history has shaped limited livelihood alternatives, increasing the reliance on a forest that has remained a constant in the more recent history of “developmental” neglect and isolation. However, this situation is not static, with future alterations to the forest also subject to regional and international political and economic influences, such as the increased worldwide demand for cacao. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:12:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f037c4b253124c499484fe5d69dcc329 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:12:02Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-f037c4b253124c499484fe5d69dcc3292023-11-21T16:12:22ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182021-04-0113417510.3390/d13040175Ecological, Historical, Economic, and Political Factors Shaping the Human–Gorilla Interface in the Mone-Oku Forest, CameroonAlison H. Wade0Nicholas Malone1Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New ZealandAnthropology, School of Social Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New ZealandCross River gorillas are the least numerous of the African ape taxa. Since their rediscovery, several organisations have sought to conserve these critically endangered apes, resulting in a “crisis conservation narrative” focused on the threats posed by local human activities. However, landscapes are not just ecological, they are also social, shaped by political and economic processes. This study examines the interconnections between humans and gorillas by approaching the Mone-Oku forest as a combination of ecological, social, and political systems. Through a combined use of botanical surveys, analyses of nesting sites, participant observation, and semistructured interviews, we obtained nuanced ecological and ethnographic insights into the human–gorilla interface. The results illustrate a history of alterations within the Mone-Oku forest, some of which are human-induced. These alterations have had both positive and negative outcomes for the gorillas and continue to the present day, where political history has shaped limited livelihood alternatives, increasing the reliance on a forest that has remained a constant in the more recent history of “developmental” neglect and isolation. However, this situation is not static, with future alterations to the forest also subject to regional and international political and economic influences, such as the increased worldwide demand for cacao.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/4/175CameroonCross River gorillaconservationethnoprimatologyethnographyhuman–primate interface |
| spellingShingle | Alison H. Wade Nicholas Malone Ecological, Historical, Economic, and Political Factors Shaping the Human–Gorilla Interface in the Mone-Oku Forest, Cameroon Diversity Cameroon Cross River gorilla conservation ethnoprimatology ethnography human–primate interface |
| title | Ecological, Historical, Economic, and Political Factors Shaping the Human–Gorilla Interface in the Mone-Oku Forest, Cameroon |
| title_full | Ecological, Historical, Economic, and Political Factors Shaping the Human–Gorilla Interface in the Mone-Oku Forest, Cameroon |
| title_fullStr | Ecological, Historical, Economic, and Political Factors Shaping the Human–Gorilla Interface in the Mone-Oku Forest, Cameroon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecological, Historical, Economic, and Political Factors Shaping the Human–Gorilla Interface in the Mone-Oku Forest, Cameroon |
| title_short | Ecological, Historical, Economic, and Political Factors Shaping the Human–Gorilla Interface in the Mone-Oku Forest, Cameroon |
| title_sort | ecological historical economic and political factors shaping the human gorilla interface in the mone oku forest cameroon |
| topic | Cameroon Cross River gorilla conservation ethnoprimatology ethnography human–primate interface |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/4/175 |
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