In the communities surrounding Nigeria’s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, women’s conservation collectives are transforming the protection of a biodiversity hotspot that’s home to the critically endangered Cross River gorilla and endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee.
These collectives, operating in villages such as Ulom, Katabang and Buanchor in southeastern Nigeria, were born from a realization that traditional, male-led governance often struggled to curb illegal activities in and around the 100-square-kilometer (39-square-mile) sanctuary, reports contributor Orji Sunday for Mongabay.
Village residents told Mongabay that because men were frequently the primary participants in hunting, logging and river pollution, they often lacked the moral authority to enforce communal bylaws that punish those activities.
“Our men have failed to stop the threats,” Ofre Mary, founder of the Ulom Women’s Conservation Collective, told Mongabay. “That’s why women decided to take a stand. That’s why we decided to take the risk”.
The collectives conduct regular and spontaneous patrols, sometimes late at night or at dawn, to track signs of hunting, wildfires or illegal logging. The groups also investigate allegations of wildlife crimes, either alone or together with other community leaders, state forestry officers and nonprofits in the region.
