Gareth Martinien Zo'obo Engolo
1. Department of Industrial Quality-Hygiene-Safety-Environment Engineering, National Higher Polytechnic School of Douala, University of Douala, Douala P.O.Box 2701, Cameroon; 2. Laboratory of Methods, University of Douala, Douala P.O.Box 2701, Cameroon
Bassirou Yaouba
1. Laboratory of Methods, University of Douala, Douala P.O.Box 2701, Cameroon; 2. Department of Rural Engineering, National Advanced School of Public Works, Yaounde P.O.Box 510, Cameroon
Severin Mbog Mbog
1. Department of Industrial Quality-Hygiene-Safety-Environment Engineering, National Higher Polytechnic School of Douala, University of Douala, Douala P.O.Box 2701, Cameroon; 2. Laboratory of Methods, University of Douala, Douala P.O.Box 2701, Cameroon
Patrice Polmbaye Ngoko
1. Department of Industrial Quality-Hygiene-Safety-Environment Engineering, National Higher Polytechnic School of Douala, University of Douala, Douala P.O.Box 2701, Cameroon; 2. Laboratory of Methods, University of Douala, Douala P.O.Box 2701, Cameroon
Charles Innocent Memvi Abessolo
Campo-Ma'an National Park, Campo P.O.Box 19, Cameroon
Dieudonne Bitondo
1. Department of Industrial Quality-Hygiene-Safety-Environment Engineering, National Higher Polytechnic School of Douala, University of Douala, Douala P.O.Box 2701, Cameroon; 2. Laboratory of Methods, University of Douala, Douala P.O.Box 2701, Cameroon
The concentration of development projects near protected areas can undermine their conservation objectives. This study examines the impact of such projects on wildlife abundance in Campo-Ma'an National Park (CMNP). Information from the CMNP Conservation Department was analysed to investigate the link between development projects around the park and changes in wildlife populations, and analysis was conducted using statistical tools, including Excel 2020 and SPSS. Pearson's correlation coefficient was employed to assess the relationship between wildlife abundance indicators and the number of development projects surrounding the park. The findings reveal a significant decline in the abundance of key species, including elephants, great apes (such as gorillas and chimpanzees), and mandrills, over the past decade. Although a brief period of improvement was observed in the early 2010s, these gains were quickly reversed. Overall, the pattern shows that as development activities increased, wildlife numbers tended to decrease. These results underscore the urgent need for stricter regulation of development near the park and for comprehensive environmental and social impact assessments to be conducted before projects commencement. This process must receive greater attention from authorities and stakeholders to regulate activities around national parks and foster conservation efforts. Strengthening this oversight will help to maintain the park's ecological integrity and promote sustainable conservation.
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Copyright © 2025 Gareth Martinien Zo'obo Engolo, Bassirou Yaouba, Severin Mbog Mbog, Patrice Polmbaye Ngoko, Charles Innocent Memvi Abessolo, Dieudonne Bitondo
This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.
