The document summarizes a study on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on wild meat use and perceptions in communities near the Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon. The study found that the pandemic increased difficulties in accessing schools, income, travel, customers, work and food for many communities. It also found that wild meat consumption remained important despite Covid-19 risks. Most respondents disagreed with proposals to close wild meat markets due to livelihood dependencies and a lack of alternatives. The conclusion was that pandemic impacts on livelihoods seemed more concerning than health risks from wild meat, and findings could help policymaking support communities.

1. Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on wild meat use and
perception in communities surrounding the Dja Faunal
Reserve in Cameroon
KAMOGNE TAGNE Cédric Thibaut

2. Context and Objectives
• The Covid-19 pandemic has caused major damage to health conditions
and the way of life of populations around the world.
• While the source of the Covid-19 outbreak is still unknown, one
hypothesis is that the virus could have originated, or have an
intermediary host in wild life.
• Wild meat is used by rural communities around the world as an
important source of food and income.
• It can be expected that COVID-19 has altered the perception of wild
meat as a food source among rural consumers as a result of the
emergence of the disease.
• This study aimed to understand how COVID-19 has impacted
perceptions, choices and consumption and trade, of wild meat in
Cameroon.

3. Research method
• Research period: February 27 -March 19, 2021
• Methods: semi-structured interviews based on a questionnaire
recorded in a tablet (Kobo collect)
• Ethics:
o Participants 18+
o Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)
o Possibility to stop or withdraw at any time
• The Research team was made up of Salihou and Thibaut.
• In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the interviews
were carried out in compliance with barrier measures.
Interviewees were also sensitized about how to prevent the
spread of COVID-19 and given soaps and hand sanitizer.

4. Study villages
The research was carried
out in 20 villages around
the DFR: seven villages in
the East Antenna and
eleven villages in the
North Antenna.

5. Results
Eastern Antenne Northern Antenne
Impact
Increa
se Decrease Increase Decrease
Access to school 0 62 0 78
Income 0 38 1 52
Ability to travel 0 38 1 49
Access to customers 0 30 0 27
Access to work 0 17 0 9
Access to food 0 11 0 9
Access to goods 0 8 0 9
Access to markets 0 4 0 1
Food prices 0 2 0 1
Access to healthcare 0 2 0 0
Personal and/or family health 0 1 0 0
Frequency of wild meat consumption by respondents in Eastern
and Northern Antenne villages. N = 199 respondents.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Never A few times a
year
Monthly Weekly Daily
Percentage
of
respondents
Eastern
Northern
The impacts of the government response to Covid-19 on
livelihoods in the Eastern and Northern Antenne villages. N = 199
respondents.

6. Results
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Wild meat Poultry Red Meat Fish None
Proportion
of
respondents
Eastern
Northern
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Proportion
of
respondents
Eastern
Northern
Reported diseases/ailments that can be from wild meat in the
Eastern and Northern antenne villages. N = 199 respondents.
The proportion of respondents in the Eastern and Northern
antenne, who identified different types of meat as transmitting
diseases. N = 199 respondents.

7. Results
Finally, respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the idea of
wild meat market closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
• 73% disagreed
• 19% agreed
• 8% neither agreed nor disagreed
There was no significant difference in responses between antennes.
“Before closing bushmeat
markets, alternatives should be
implemented.”
“If we close bushmeat market,
how will we do?”

8. Conclusion:
• Wild meat takes a prominent place among the populations around the DFR, who continue
to depend on it as a source of income and protein, despite the possible risks of
transmission.
• This study has revealed the extent of the socio-economic and cultural impacts of the
pandemic. Moreover, for populations around the DFR, these impacts seem more worrying
than the health risk posed by the disease itself.
• Our findings could help inform decision-making, and guide initiatives to mitigate the
impacts of the pandemic around the DFR and elsewhere.
• A paper is being written.
Thank you for your kind attention and a special thank you to the whole project
team!
KAMOGNE TAGNE Cédric Thibaut