Volume 72, Issue 1, April 2024, Pages 23–31
Boris Gagbe Gagbe1, Célestin Yao Kouakou2, Prince Dégny Vale3, Alex Ange Beda4, Assui Wa Kassi N’Guessan Dawy5, Moïse Zannou6, Adama Tondossama7, and Jean-claude Koffi Béné8
1 Unité de Formation et Recherches en Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte-d’Ivoire
2 Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Tropicale, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire
3 Unité de Formation et Recherches en Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte-d’Ivoire
4 Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves, Côte d’Ivoire
5 Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Tropicale, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire
6 Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves, Côte d’Ivoire
7 Direction Générale, Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
8 Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Tropicale, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire
Original language: English
Copyright © 2024 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Medium and large-sized mammals worldwide are facing a critical survival challenge due to human activities. In Mont Sangbé National Park (MSNP) in western Côte d’Ivoire, medium and large-sized mammals are frequently sighted in the natural salt licks of the savanna zone, yet there is limited knowledge regarding this fauna. This study seeks to assess the diversity of mammals in the park’s natural salt licks and evaluate potential threats posed by human activities. We employed camera trapping and reconnaissance walks at these natural salt licks to collect data. During reconnaissance walks, 58 signs of medium and large mammals were observed, including feces, footprints, feeding remnants et burrows. A total of 19 species of medium and large-sized mammals, distributed across six (06) orders and 11 families, were identified. Among these species, six (06) were directly observed during reconnaissance walks, and 16 were observed with camera traps. Fifteen of the observed species are classified as least concerned, one is near threatened and three are vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Furthermore, we documented evidence of human activities near the salt licks, underscoring significant anthropogenic threats to these species. Comprehensive research covering all MSNP natural salt licks and accounting for seasonal variations is essential for gaining a deeper understanding of the ecology of mammals frequenting these areas and ensuring their preservation.
Author Keywords: Salt lick mammal, Specific Diversity, anthropogenic threat, Mont Sangbé National Park, Côte d’Ivoire.
Boris Gagbe Gagbe1, Célestin Yao Kouakou2, Prince Dégny Vale3, Alex Ange Beda4, Assui Wa Kassi N’Guessan Dawy5, Moïse Zannou6, Adama Tondossama7, and Jean-claude Koffi Béné8
1 Unité de Formation et Recherches en Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte-d’Ivoire
2 Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Tropicale, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire
3 Unité de Formation et Recherches en Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte-d’Ivoire
4 Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves, Côte d’Ivoire
5 Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Tropicale, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire
6 Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves, Côte d’Ivoire
7 Direction Générale, Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
8 Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Tropicale, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire
Original language: English
Copyright © 2024 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Medium and large-sized mammals worldwide are facing a critical survival challenge due to human activities. In Mont Sangbé National Park (MSNP) in western Côte d’Ivoire, medium and large-sized mammals are frequently sighted in the natural salt licks of the savanna zone, yet there is limited knowledge regarding this fauna. This study seeks to assess the diversity of mammals in the park’s natural salt licks and evaluate potential threats posed by human activities. We employed camera trapping and reconnaissance walks at these natural salt licks to collect data. During reconnaissance walks, 58 signs of medium and large mammals were observed, including feces, footprints, feeding remnants et burrows. A total of 19 species of medium and large-sized mammals, distributed across six (06) orders and 11 families, were identified. Among these species, six (06) were directly observed during reconnaissance walks, and 16 were observed with camera traps. Fifteen of the observed species are classified as least concerned, one is near threatened and three are vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Furthermore, we documented evidence of human activities near the salt licks, underscoring significant anthropogenic threats to these species. Comprehensive research covering all MSNP natural salt licks and accounting for seasonal variations is essential for gaining a deeper understanding of the ecology of mammals frequenting these areas and ensuring their preservation.
Author Keywords: Salt lick mammal, Specific Diversity, anthropogenic threat, Mont Sangbé National Park, Côte d’Ivoire.
How to Cite this Article
Boris Gagbe Gagbe, Célestin Yao Kouakou, Prince Dégny Vale, Alex Ange Beda, Assui Wa Kassi N’Guessan Dawy, Moïse Zannou, Adama Tondossama, and Jean-claude Koffi Béné, “The mammalian fauna of the salt licks in the savanna zone of Mont Sangbé National Park, western Côte d’Ivoire,” International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 23–31, April 2024.
