Wildlife conservationists in Cameroon have said protected species are more endangered than ever before in that country. Experts say the continuing popularity of wildlife meat, or bush meat, is encouraging armed poachers to gun down hundreds of thousands of animals. But the government has introduced new initiatives to halt the illegal trade.

From Cameroon’s hinterlands to the urban centre’s, vendors openly display smoked monkeys, gorillas, snakes, antelopes, crocodiles and more from the country’s receding forests. For several years, the lucrative trade in meat from wild animals has thrived, despite anti-poaching laws.

Conservation groups like the World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Society warn that at the current rate; critically endangered species will be completely wiped out over the next two decades.

Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Cameroon’s Minister of Forests and Wildlife, said the situation is outrageous: “We see people selling bush meat everywhere, anywhere, in public places, along the roadsides. And it’s more or less putting a shame on our dignity and our commitment to fight illegal poaching.”

The government has worked aggressively to stop poachers. The Ministry of Forests and Wildlife has been working with the police, the army and conservation organizations to crack down on the trade.

The government has prohibited the transport of bush meat to markets on trains, timber trucks and pubic transportation. Also, a number of radio campaigns have been conducted to try to sensitize people to the importance of the issue. But observers say the campaigns have failed to stop the high demand for the meat.