Environment Donation Kakum
Kakum (C/R), Nov. 14, GNA – The Nature Conservation Research Centre (NCRC) has donated motorbikes and other logistics to the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission to strengthen patrols and community-based protection efforts within the Kakum Conservation Area.
The support, which includes Global Positioning Systems (GPS) devices, laptops, and other field equipment, forms part of a broader collaboration between NCRC, the Wildlife Division, and private-sector partners such as the Hershey Company and the Lindt Cocoa Foundation to improve forest protection and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
Dr. Rebecca Asare, Director of Programmes and Research at NCRC, said persistent logistical gaps hindered effective monitoring.
“Protecting the forest is difficult when the teams are not adequately resourced. Farmers also face serious challenges with wildlife coming out of the forest to raid crops,” she said.
She explained that the donation formed part of activities under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Wildlife Division to build collaborative monitoring and patrol teams across the landscape.
“We need to be mobile to implement these activities effectively. These motorbikes and logistics will help the teams lead monitoring and strengthen forest protection,” she added.
Mr. Alex Agyei, Manager of Kakum National Park, said the motorbikes would significantly improve daily patrols, especially along boundary lines where poaching and illegal logging threats persisted.
“This facility will help us protect the resource. It will also strengthen our engagement with surrounding communities, so that together we can monitor the boundaries and deter bushmeat hunters or people involved in illegal felling,” he said.
He noted that the proximity of farming communities to the park remained one of the biggest challenges, particularly the frequent crop-raiding by elephants in cocoa farms.
Mr. Agyei said the NCRC was supporting the development of “pepper fencing” systems to help farmers safeguard their crops without harming the wildlife.
“This approach is important because the government does not pay compensation for crop losses. Through this partnership, we are supporting farmers while protecting the elephants,” he added.
He said Kakum remained one of the country’s most visited tourist destinations, recording more than 204,000 visitors in 2024, with Ghanaians and tourists from the US, Germany, China, and Spain forming the largest visitor groups.
Mr. Richard Ofori-Amanfo, Zonal Manager for the Central, Western, and Western North regions of the Forestry Commission, said each patrol camp and operational unit within the conservation area would receive a motorbike to ensure effective law enforcement and maintenance of the forest.
“Kakum is one of the best high-forest areas we have—intact, green, and critical for carbon sequestration. As we work to address climate change, sustaining this forest is essential,” he said.
Mr. Ofori-Amanfo praised the local citizens and other groups for strongly resisting past attempts to introduce illegal mining around the park, describing it as a major victory for forest protection.
“We cannot do this work alone. We need the support of communities, the media, NGOs, and all stakeholders to protect this forest,” he said.
The Kakum Conservation Area covers about 360 square kilometers of tropical high rainforest and forms part of the globally significant West Africa Guinea Forest Biodiversity Hotspot.
The forest is home to more than 260 bird species and over 40 mammals, including endangered forest elephants, long-tailed pangolins, and Western Bongo antelopes.
GNA
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong