African Brush-tailed Porcupine sold for meat in Cameroon

Bushmeat (calque from the French viande de brousse) is the term commonly used for meat of terrestrial wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throughout the humid tropics of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. The African Brush-Tailed Porcupine ( Atherurus africanus) is a species of Rat -like Old World porcupine called " Brush-tailed porcupines The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. In Linguistics, a calque (kælk or loan translation is a Word or Phrase borrowed from another Language by Literal, word-for-word French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer Terrestrial animals are Animals that live predominantly or entirely on land as compared with Aquatic animals which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America However, originally the term was only used to describe the hunting of wild animals in West and Central Africa. Central Africa is a core Region of the African Continent often considered to include Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad To reflect the global nature of hunting of wild animals Resolution 2. 64 of the IUCN General Assembly in Amman (October 2000) referred to wild meat rather than bushmeat. Amman (ɑˈmɑːn sometimes spelled Ammann ( Arabic عمان ʿAmmān) is the Capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom A more worldwide term is game; see that article for a fuller description. Game is any Animal hunted for Food or not normally domesticated (such as Venison) The term bushmeat crisis tends to be used to describe unsustainable hunting of wildlife in West and Central Africa or the humid tropics (rainforest), depending on interpretation. Central Africa is a core Region of the African Continent often considered to include Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches African hunting predates recorded history; by 2007 it had become an international issue. ^[1]

Examples

Bushmeat species include apes, other primates, ungulates, rodents, and birds. A primate is a member of the biological order Primates ( Latin: "prime first rank" the group that contains Lemurs the Aye-aye Ungulates (meaning roughly "being Hoofed quot or "hoofed animal" are several groups of Mammals most of which use the tips of their toes usually Rodentia is an order of Mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The species hunted depend on the geographical area, e. g. no apes in the Americas, and preferences and taboos of the hunters. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America

Hunting

Bushmeat hunting is common in sub-Saharan Africa's dense forests. Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. The bushmeat trade refers to the sale of any wild species, though Western sources tend to focus on the trade specifically involving great apes. Bushmeat hunters have been targeting the gorilla, chimpanzee, and bonobo, as well as other primate species, which has distressed many conservationists and advocates of animal rights and Great ape personhood. Gorillas, the largest of the living Primates are ground-dwelling Herbivores that inhabit the Forests of Africa. Chimpanzee (often shortened to chimp) is the common name for the two extant Species of Apes in the Genus Pan. The Bonobo (bə'noʊboʊ Pan paniscus) until recently usually called the Pygmy Chimpanzee (and less often the Dwarf or Gracile Chimpanzee A primate is a member of the biological order Primates ( Latin: "prime first rank" the group that contains Lemurs the Aye-aye "Animal liberation" redirects here for other uses see Animal liberation (disambiguation. Great ape personhood is a movement to create legal recognition of Bonobos Common chimpanzees Gorillas and Orangutans (the non- Human

The issue of bushmeat hunting is highly politicized, with little support for the practice outside the African forests and cities where it is conducted. International efforts to stop it have been launched, especially in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page In the countries where the hunting occurs, orphaned apes (deemed unable to survive on their own, but also deemed too small to be worth shooting and cutting up, to the hunters) are raised and returned to the wild as part of these efforts.

In Cameroon, where gorilla populations are especially endangered, the Wildlife Protectors Fund launched an education campaign to teach children about Koko the gorilla, who is part of a long-term psychology experiment in an American research sanctuary. The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. Gorillas, the largest of the living Primates are ground-dwelling Herbivores that inhabit the Forests of Africa. Koko (born July 4, 1971, in San Francisco California) is a Lowland gorilla who according to Francine 'Penny' Patterson, is able In scientific inquiry an experiment ( Latin: Ex- periri, "to try out" is a method of investigating particular types of research questions or As awareness of the intelligence of gorilla species and their ability to express feelings and care for other animals spread, local support for gorilla hunting dropped.

Factors

Logging concessions operated by European and Malaysian companies in African forests have been closely linked to the bushmeat trade. Because they provide roads, trucks and other access to remote forests, they are the primary means for the transportation of hunters and meat between forests and urban centres. Some, including the Congolaise Industrielle du Bois (CIB) in Republic of Congo, have partnered with governments and international conservation organizations to regulate the bushmeat trade within the concessions where they operate. Numerous solutions are needed; because each country has different circumstances, traditions and laws, no one solution will work in every location.

Many conservation organizations have come together to address the bushmeat crisis through the formation of the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force, whose mission is to build a public, professional and government constituency aimed at identifying and supporting solutions that effectively respond to the bushmeat crisis in Africa and around the world.

This Cameroonian chimpanzee was brought to a rescue centre after its mother was killed by poachers.

Effect on Great Apes

Some species are legal to hunt and not endangered, and some are not. Only about 1% of the bushmeat trade is in ape meat. However, the apes' small numbers and the attractiveness of hunting them (being a large animal, a gorilla can offer a good "payoff" for each cartridge) means the impact on hunting them is considerable. A cartridge (also known as a "round" packages the Bullet, Gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the Orphans of the bushmeat trade are often sold as pets, as young apes do not have enough meat on them to eat. The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) is a member organization of sanctuaries that provide care for bushmeat orphans and education for local communities.

Armed conflict has a direct impact on the killing of great apes for bushmeat. This is largely because the widespread availability of automatic rifles and the breakdown of law and order. A well documented case was the killing and eating of mountain gorillas during the military insurrection around Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in January 2007. The Mountain Gorilla ( Gorilla beringei beringei Adult males have more pronounced bony crests on the top and back of their skulls giving their heads a more conical shape The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to

Apes reproduce relatively slowly, at about one-fourth the rate of most other mammals. A study in Gabon, the wealthiest country in the region with 80% of its forest cover still in place, showed that it had suffered at least a 56% decline in its ape population over seventeen years. Gabon (gəˈbɒn or /gaˈbõ/ in French) is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic

Role in African diseases of humans

• Apes harbour pathogens that also affect humans. Ebola for instance is endemic in chimps and gorillas, and might spread to humans during the butchering and hunting of such animals. Ebola is the common term for a group of Viruses belonging to genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, and for the disease which they Chimpanzee (often shortened to chimp) is the common name for the two extant Species of Apes in the Genus Pan. Gorillas, the largest of the living Primates are ground-dwelling Herbivores that inhabit the Forests of Africa. One of the many hypotheses that attempt to explain how HIV crossed over to humans is that the virus passed into people by this hunting or butchering of an ape, most probably a chimpanzee or gorilla. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Butchering involves prolonged contact with the tissues and fluids of the animal. A butcher is someone who prepares various Meats and other related goods for sale The virus could have infected a human through a break in the skin or a mucous membrane.

• African squirrels (Heliosciurus, Funisciurus) have been implicated as reservoirs of the monkeypox virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and their use as bushmeat may be an important means of transmission to humans. Sun squirrels ( Genus Heliosciurus) form a taxon of Squirrels under the subfamily Xerinae and the tribe Protoxerini. African striped squirrels ( Genus Funisciurus) or rope squirrels, form a taxon of Squirrels under the subfamily Xerinae and the Monkeypox is a rare Infectious disease caused by Monkeypox virus. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to

Efforts at eradication

The bushmeat trade is considered by some anti-globalization activists to be one of many ways in which globalization affects life on the planet, due to the lumber trade (as described in the Factors section above). Globalization (or globalisation) in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones Bushmeat ( Calque from the French viande de brousse) is the term commonly used for Meat of terrestrial wild animals killed for There is no way (other than by researching the corporations involved, or their countries of origin) to tell which lumber has been produced in a way that assists the hunting of apes, and which has not. It has been suggested that the only way to eliminate the bushmeat trade might be industry-specific protocols, along the lines of the Cocoa Protocol. The Harkin-Engel Protocol, commonly referred to as the Cocoa Protocol is an international aimed at ending child labour in the production of cocoa Although some argue against Western interference with African culture, claiming that the West should take a value-neutral perspective on eating apes, many African cultures greatly respect or fear apes, and frown on their consumption. Some have suggested that the economic incentive to hunt bushmeat has led to an erosion of these traditional values, and that Western interference is therefore appropriate. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind ^[1]

It has also been proposed by Dr. Peter Arcese, an associate professor of forest sciences at the University of British Columbia, that farming infrastructure needs to be created and the international exploitation of African fisheries needs to stop. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria The University of British Columbia ( UBC) is a Canadian public research University with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture For the fishing industry and the practice of fishing see Fishing. The fisheries are being overfished by mainly EU-subsidized fleets and could collapse within a few decades. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Reduced fishery landings in Africa increase demand for bushmeat, which is leading many species to face extinction, and a humanitarian crisis could easily follow. In some locations the biomass of mammals in parks has been reduced by 70% since 1967 because of bushmeat harvesting. Biomass refers to living and recently dead Biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production Since wildlife monitoring is limited to a few countries the full extent and future outlook of bushmeat is not currently known. ^[2]

See also

• Ape extinction
• Hunting
• Endangered species
• Cane Rat
• Greater Cane Rat
• Gambian Pouch Rat
• Hunter-gatherer
• Illegal logging
• Overfishing
• Bushfood
• Africa
• Roadkill

References

External links

• Bushmeat Crisis Task Force
• Bushmeat Trade - Threat of Primate Extinction : Save The Primates
• The Bushmeat Research Programme of the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London
• The bushmeat trade. POSTnote 236. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, UK.
• Ape Alliance - Bushmeat Working Group
• Pan African Sanctuaries Alliance
• BBC News article about trying to prevent the illegal import of Bushmeat to the UK
• Bushmeat Briefings
• Photographs of bushmeat from KarlAmmann.com
• Oil and Bushmeat
• Bush Meat Campaign
• Bushmeat is commonly taken back to the towns after rural visits in Africa
• The wildlife trade monitoring network