The man who was found in illegal possession of 12 gorilla skulls was arrested by wildlife officials from the Ngokentunjia divisional delegation of forestry and wildlife working in collaboration with the forces of law and order, on November 13, 2015. The 45-year-old man was arrested as he sat drinking a soft drink in a bar in Bamessing, after placing a bag containing primate skulls under the table he was using. The operation was carried out with the technical assistance of The Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA).

When the bag was opened for the products to be counted, 12 gorilla skulls, 3 chimpanzee skulls, 1 drill skull and 2 other primate skulls which were not immediately identified, were found. A source close to the case said shortly before his arrest, he was seen discussing with a suspected big time poacher who is well known in Bamessing and who is reported to have been poaching for many years. The same source says some wildlife trafficking had been going on in and around Bamessing. The investigation leading to the arrest of the suspect, was initiated following an alleged selling of 55 primate skulls to someone who was described as a “Bamoun man”.

This arrest comes barely two months after a suspected trafficker was arrested in Kumbo with chimp bones and a mona monkey and after the arrest of another suspect in Wum for illegal possession and commercialization of chimp bones. The series of arrests indicates that the North West regional delegation of forestry and wildlife is intensifying crackdown operations which may hinder the ability of traffickers to freely trade in wildlife species in the area.

Although the region is home to many primate species including the chimpanzee, the populations sizes are not encouraging and much fear that if nothing is done to stop the killing of chimpanzees, it may rapidly become extinct. Some Bamessing residents readily agreed that wildlife could not be easily spotted as it was the case some years back. They say you need to move to the Mbi Crater faunal reserve to be able to get some contact with wildlife.

While the meat from primates may be easily sold as bushmeat after an animal is shot, the bones are later sold for diverse purposes such as for traditional medicine, mystical practices, among others and traffickers try to cash in on the bones and skulls. Some Bamessing residents said bones are generally sold to traditional doctors.

The 1994 wildlife law addresses trafficking in parts of wildlife and sections 101 and 158 stipulate that anyone found in possession of a protected wildlife species or any of its parts is considered to have captured or killed the animal and may face up to 3 years imprisonment term and or a fine of up to 10 million CFA F. A case file is being established against the trafficker who may face prosecution any moment from now.

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