FUW TRENDS IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(A Peer Review Journal)
e–ISSN: 2408–5162; p–ISSN: 2048–5170
keywords: Perception, conservation potential, Ebola, hunters, bush meat
A research on public perception and conservation potential of Ebola virus disease on hunters and bush meat consumption was conducted in Yankari Game Reserve in north–eastern Nigeria with the aim of assessing how the recent outbreak of the Ebola disease has helped in wildlife conservation. A total of sixty (60) well-structured questionnaire were administered to bush meat seller and hunters and also one questionnaire to the Project manager of Yankari Game Reserve making the total of (61) questionnaire in order to examine the socio-economic effect of the outbreak of the disease on the level of bush meat consumption, to investigate the effect of the outbreak of the disease on wildlife conservation and also to investigate the level of hunting activities before and after the outbreak. The result revealed that before the outbreak of Ebola, 100%, of the respondents were regular bush meat eaters at different period of time ranging from 5 yrs. (23.3%), 10 years (16.7%) 15 years (28.3%) and on daily basis (21.7%), weekly basis (30%) monthly basis 26.7%) and yearly basis (21.7 %) but after the disease outbreak bush meat consumption reduced to 28.3% due to fear of the virus, 95% of the hunters were actively involved in hunting of wild animals but after the outbreak 75% suspended hunting activities. It was also discovered that the population of the wild animals in 2014 compared to 2013 was less than 35%.
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