Fazao-Malfakassa National Park in Togo, West Africa, is one of the last strongholds for the western black rhinoceros, once considered extinct. Among them, the African savanna elephant, which is the largest terrestrial animal on Earth. The Swiss cultural foundation subsequently founded the park in 1990 as a protected parkland. In 2015, care of the park was taken over by the state. These changes have led to international alarm over the protection of this emerging nation’s abundant biodiversity, which just a decade ago faced alarming threats themselves.
The park, which hosted 240 bird species previously, added 34 bird species to records as new park arrivals since the pandemic began! Among these are notable sightings such as the White-browed Forest Flycatcher and Emin’s Shrike, both significant additions to Togo’s avifauna. The Great Blue Turaco reappeared for the first time since 1990, showcasing the importance of the park for avian diversity. Yet, even with these positive signs of progress, underperforming population trends for wildlife have led to desperate cries for adequate management and coordinated large-scale actions.
The Impact of Human Encroachment
Traditionally, Fazao-Malfakassa National Park used to have about a dozen villages surrounding it before 1990. The last two decades have witnessed an extraordinary increase in immigration and new settlement. This rapid development has increased the number of villages inside and just outside of the park’s borders by more than triple. This sudden spike in population puts immense strain on this ever-fragile ecosystem, as urbanization and development push into the paths of native wildlife.
This encroachment has resulted in a significant loss of mammal species richness in the park. In a new camera trap study, researchers made a shocking discovery—only 27 of the original 52 recorded mammal species still exist. This represents a staggering 48% decrease from their historic baseline. These cuts throw the biological scales of nature out of balance. They jeopardize the park’s crucial role in protecting endangered species, like African elephants, and conservation-dependent species, like white-thighed colobus monkeys.
“Land is a vital resource that must be managed sustainably.” – DOI: “10.3390/land14020225”
This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for comprehensive and sustainable land management practices that prioritize wildlife conservation while balancing human needs.
Endangered Species Under Threat
Fazao-Malfakassa National Park is an important protection area for the rich wildlife of the country. Indeed, many of these species have disappeared from other regions of Togo. With its rich, special habitat, the park is home to both African forest elephants as well as African savanna elephants, in addition to many other mammals. Sadly, we know that the park has experienced a catastrophic decline in many species. The White-backed Vulture in particular is now thought to be locally extinct in the region.
The regional black market trade that vultures, eagles, owls and other wildlife fall victim to only exacerbates this issue. Other animals are trapped specifically for “fetish” beliefs and rituals for local marketplace. This illicit trafficking endangers entire species. It upends ecological dynamics by vacuuming apex scavengers and birds of prey from the sky.
The tragic decline of these vital species has conservationists and researchers deeply worried. Increased loss of top scavenger species may promote even faster carcass decomposition and additional negative impacts to ecosystem health.
“The declines in birds of prey and apex scavengers are alarming.” – Source: unspecified
Challenges Ahead for Park Management
With increasing pressures from human activity on the park and rampant illegal wildlife trade put at-risk species in jeopardy, effective management strategies are essential. This change in ownership from private management to state management poses valuable insights and questions. Are today’s world-class conservation efforts doing enough to protect the park’s rich biodiversity?
Conservation management practices need to be more flexible and creative to fight back against habitat encroachment and illegal wildlife trade—all real and present threats. Involving local communities in conservation efforts can promote sustainable development and business practices while addressing the needs of these communities. By raising awareness of the ecological value found in conserving wildlife, we can better connect our communities to the cause of wildlife conservation.
Additionally, long-term surveillance of avian and other wildlife populations in-park is crucial. Information gained from long term studies that are still underway will be important in predicting trends within the population and management of the species moving forward.
“Effective monitoring is key to understanding how protected areas can be better managed.” – Source: unspecified