Fauna
Cameroon is a land of contrasts and diversity in many ways. The different languages, cultures and lifestyles to be found in Cameroon are the result of the country's history, but also of the climates in which it is found. It goes without saying that the local fauna also reflects this diversity.
The savannah is home to most of the large animals found in this habitat, including lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffalo, antelopes, gazelles, pangolins, warthogs, hartebeests and manatees. The tropical forests are home to many species of monkey (including a few gorillas in the Mengeme sanctuary in the south-east of the country).
The mangrove swamps are also home to many species of reptiles, including crocodiles and snakes, as well as birds and a wide variety of insects.
And off the coast live many species of fish and crustaceans, as well as marine mammals and turtles, which you may be lucky enough to come across on the coast during the egg-laying season.
Birds. Cameroon is home to a wide variety of tropical birds. A veritable playground for ornithologists, no fewer than 900 species can be observed across the country. Such is this diversity that it remains difficult to draw up accurate, up-to-date population figures for the various species and to study them all. Among these (most of which are protected) are: the ostrich, the world's largest bird, which finds refuge mainly in Waza National Park; the touraco, which resembles a large pheasant with its variegated feathers and recognizable by its very repetitive call; but also the bald picatharte, the civet, the grey heron, the youyou parrot, the gangas, the francolins...
Fish. The ocean off the coast of Cameroon is teeming with fish. From December to May, you can spot marlin, swordfish, dolphinfish, barracuda (also very common in November), tarpon..
Rivers and lakes (especially Lake Chad) are also home to many species, and a fishing trip in a traditional pirogue is often a good way to get up close and personal with other inhabitants of these waterways: the hippopotamus.
In fact, this large amphibious mammal weighing over 2 tonnes, which can be seen in many of the country's rivers and ponds, notably the Benoué, Noun and Sanaga, is often approached without suspicion, despite the fact that it is one of the most dangerous animals known to man. In fact, don't be fooled by its chubby good looks and rounded snout: the hippopotamus can be very aggressive, charging its prey without hesitation and running at astonishing speed once on land!
Elephant. The mythical animal of the African savannah is well represented in Cameroon, particularly in Waza Park, where it's not uncommon to come across large herds. In fact, elephants live in small family groups of 10 to 20 individuals, which regularly gather around watering holes (such as the elephant pond in Waza Park)
With a life expectancy of 60 to 70 years, elephants live in a matriarchal society in which the oldest females dominate the herd. Considered a sacred mystical entity and declared a protected species by the authorities, the elephant is unfortunately hunted down by poachers who are always after its ivory. In Cameroon, there is the savannah elephant in Wasa Park, which is the best known to visitors, and the forest elephant in Lobéké Park.
Lion. This feline, often considered the king of the jungle, is in fact a regular visitor to the savannah and wooded steppes, where he sometimes gives the false impression of doing nothing but taking long naps in the shade. It is, of course, a major tourist attraction in the large parks in the north of the country: Waza, Bénoué, Bouba Ndjida and Faro. Lions live in herds of up to 30 individuals, including 4 to 12 lionesses who remain in the group for the rest of their lives. Lions protect these females against males from other clans, and are very attached to their hunting and breeding territories, which they defend fiercely.
Giraffe. This long-necked mammal with its nonchalant elegance lives in the savannah and wooded steppes of northern Cameroon. Nature lovers will be most likely to come across the wiry beauty in Waza National Park.
Snakes. Cameroon is home to many species of snake, some of them highly venomous. Among the most dangerous species are the Gabon viper, the green mamba (a tree-dwelling snake with a lightning-fast venom) and the spitting cobra (found in the dry savannah and capable of projecting its venom more than 3 m into an attacker's eyes, causing temporary blindness and severe pain). Snakes live in forests or bushland, tend to avoid humans and generally only bite to defend themselves.
As far as insects are concerned, the most common species living alongside humans (which you'll find in town as well as in the bush) are of course flies, the most widespread being of course harmless (the tsetse fly having virtually disappeared from Cameroon today). A little more annoying, and far more harmful: the mosquito. No further introduction is needed. Mosquitoes are widespread in Cameroon, especially in the hot, humid south of the country, and some of them can transmit malaria. So it's essential to protect yourself against them, with mosquito nets at night, mosquito repellent and anti-malarial treatment.
More rare, but still present even in the city, is the cayor worm. A parasitic worm that blooms under the skin of anyone who has worn clothes where the fly has laid its larvae (usually damp cotton linen). The cutaneous manifestations are boils marked by a black dot, which cause more itching than pain. To prevent this, we recommend ironing clothes that have dried outdoors, especially in gardens, damp areas or areas frequented by flies.
Taking stock of Cameroon's wildlife over the past fifty years or so also means tackling the subject of poaching. Indeed, the gorilla and chimpanzee populations of poached animals have been halved throughout Africa. Cameroon has not been spared this slaughter, which has been facilitated by deforestation. In the markets of Yaoundé, finding bushmeat or buying a small monkey is disconcertingly easy. In response, governmental and associative action has been taken to protect these close cousins of man. In addition to the various reserves that have been set up across the country, animal sanctuaries have also been created. The Méfou National Park, 45 minutes from Yaoundé, is one of the largest primate rehabilitation centers in Cameroon. Today, the park is home to 350 primates, including 110 chimpanzees and 20 gorillas. Every day, the Méfou Primate Park organizes guided tours led by local educators.
The Sanaga-Yong Center, founded by American veterinarian Sheri Speede, is an orphanage for chimpanzees, currently home to around 70 chimpanzees. Financed entirely by donations, and created with the support of the NGO IDA-Africa, this structure recalls the struggle of the famous anthropologist Jane Goodall for the study and protection of chimpanzees in the Congo.
Flore
Just like the fauna, the flora that thrives in Cameroon is directly linked to the country's diversity of landforms and climates. Savannah, steppe, mangrove and tropical forest, these environments are home to numerous plant species, making the whole country a benchmark for tropical flora.
The south is dominated by the equatorial forest, which accounts for around a third of the country's total surface area, despite its sometimes uncontrolled exploitation, particularly in the densely populated south-west. This vast area of forest is bordered to the west, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, by mangrove swamps. Moving northwards, and thus gradually into a tropical climate, the forest gives way to wooded savannah, at least outside the valleys of the main rivers where the abundance of water enables it to survive. The plateaus of the Adamaoua massif, where the climate is more temperate, alternate landscapes of forest and grassy savannah, ideal for grazing.
Continuing towards the Far North, we enter a region with a dry, tropical Sahelian climate, and are confronted with semi-desert landscapes.
The Cameroon forest. Cameroon's forest covers an estimated 45% of the country's total land area. Measurements vary from expert to expert, but it's understandable that such a high proportion has always complicated the task of agriculture and industrialization, as well as the establishment of an efficient communications network. Nevertheless, over the last forty years or so, much of the land has been cleared for the development of agriculture adapted to the soil and climate. Over the last twenty years, around 10% of Cameroon's forest has been cleared for cultivation.
The deforestation of recent decades is one of the most significant in Africa, a fact that continues to worry specialists, who also point out that, of the remaining 90%, around one-fifth is in a state that has been severely degraded by human intervention. This forest is one of the six territories of the Congo Forest Basin, which covers a total of 660,000 km² (more than the size of France) and is the2nd largest oxygen reserve on the planet, after Amazonia.
For several years now, the over-exploitation of these resources by the timber industry has been a growing concern for environmental observers (in the last fifteen years, timber production from Cameroon has tripled). Other countries have in the past undergone uncontrolled deforestation, which has ultimately deprived them of their forest resources, as Western and Asian industries have turned their eyes and their equipment to this manna which, alas, is not inexhaustible.
The tropical forest. Cameroon offers a magnificent example of tropical forest in its southern part: in addition to a rich fauna, there are several hundred different species of trees forming an immense ocean of different shades of green, organized in several levels that are almost imperceptible due to the abundance of vegetation and its entanglement. The tallest rainforest trees can reach 60 m in height. They form the beginnings of a plant dome, which is completed on the lower level by smaller trees (up to 10 m high). Given their size, these trees stand on trunks of impressive diameter. Among them are many species of precious wood, such as mahogany and ebony, which are exploited in a more or less controlled way. In addition to the lianas that attack these trees, ground-level vegetation can be seen adapting to the very special conditions provided by the canopy: reduced luminosity, constantly high temperature and humidity.
The savannah is the transition between forest and steppe, with trees becoming rarer and, above all, smaller, given the more difficult climatic conditions. It is therefore dominated by tall grasses, more resistant to periods of drought. Tropical forests can still be found around major rivers. In the rest of the savannah, tall grasses are dominant, often exceeding 1 m in height. These savannahs are dotted with small trees, generally thorny ones such as acacias (much appreciated by giraffes).
The challenges of deforestation. It's impossible to describe Cameroon's flora without mentioning the challenges of deforestation. In 1998, Cameroon exported nearly 3 million cubic meters of industrial timber. This impressive figure is the only one on which administrations, environmental associations and forestry companies agree.
Indeed, the state of Cameroon's forests is a sensitive issue. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the surface area covered by forests is declining drastically. Between 1980 and 1995, it fell by some 10% to 19.6 million ha. Such a fall is attributable to illegal practices, foremost among which are corruption and the huge concessions granted in particular to Chinese companies with little respect for sustainability.
To counter this inequality, Cameroon and the European Union, its main timber customer, signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) in May 2010. The timber industry is the third largest source of income for the Cameroonian economy, after raw materials and oil.
The various stakeholders, the local population, the authorities and the European Union are joining forces to reduce the environmental consequences of illegal deforestation.
Also within the framework of the VPA, in May 2012, the European Union disbursed 78 million CFA francs. If nothing is done, the natural habitat of many species will disappear. Gorillas, chimpanzees and even humans, such as the Pygmies, whose habitat is consequently destroyed, justify the means put in place to promote responsible and sustainable exploitation.
It's important to note that deforestation and poaching go hand in hand. Indeed, when a logging company creates a track to extract a log, poachers take advantage of the road to go deep into the forest in search of game.
