By Seyi Odewale
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) in partnership with Wilder Institute has donated equipment worth N8m to the Cross River National Park, Cross River Forestry Commission, and University of Calabar to boost the ongoing research project on the conservation and preservation of the Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli).
The equipment include digital cameras, desktop computers, laptops, projector and projector screens, video conferencing gadgets, a 65-inch flat screen Hi-sense TV, a 4K PTZ professional Video Conference Camera, MC3000 USB HD PTZ Auto Rotate Tracking Voice Camera, built-in four digital microphone array and 10 metres voice pickup, 2.2 million pixels, among many others.
In a statement issued by NCF at the weekend after a two-day training on gender and conservation at the University of Calabar, a Senior Advisor of Community Conservation at the Wilder Institute, Dr. Brenda Akpan, who was one of the facilitators, noted that the Cross River gorilla is a critically endangered subspecies of the western gorilla that needed to be protected.
The gorilla is endemic to West Africa and they live in small areas of highland forest that span the border of Nigeria and Cameroon, adding that more than ever before, the Cross River gorilla faces threats associated with habitat loss and hunting.
“The Cross River Gorilla Initiative which commenced in 2022 will award scholarships to one Ph.D. student and four master’s degree students at the University of Calabar for five years.
“At the moment, the first set of awardees; one Ph.D and two M.Sc students all of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Calabar have resumed their three-month internship programme with NCF,” she said.
The statement noted that the programme is to enable the researchers to have practical hands-on experience in the use of field equipment such as camera traps, GPS handsets, drones, etc, in data collection and monitoring as well as maintenance of such equipment.
Understand how to conduct field surveys concerning Focal Group Discussions (FGD), Key Informant Interviews (KII), Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRA), and Community Work Skills (CWS), as well as strategies for developing, distributing, and collecting questionnaires for effective research work and analysis.
Understand the need/importance for community engagement and community relationships concerning data collection and field research work.
Another co-facilitator, who is a gender specialist from the University of Calabar, Dr Brenda Akpan, noted that the programme will allow the researchers to establish contact and familiarise themselves with the project community and project locations through field visits to ensure a smooth take-off during their field research work.
She added that they would also understand the role of gender in forest resource management concerning gorilla conservation.
It is estimated that there are at most 300 Cross River gorillas left in the wild. NCF continues to work with its partners to mobilise stakeholders and muster support to preserve the remaining population and their habitat to prevent the extinction of the gorilla in Nigeria.
