In southeast Cameroon a lot of the Baka’s ancestral land has both been designated as nationwide parks – Boumba Bek, Nki and Lobeke – or awarded to safari looking firms. The Baka have been stripped of all rights to it.
The Baka are theoretically allowed to enter areas of the parks, however in actuality wildlife officers ignore this.
The forest was for the Baka however not anymore. We’d stroll within the forest in line with the seasons however now we’re afraid. How can they forbid us from going into the forest? We don’t know methods to reside in any other case. They beat us, kill us and pressure us to flee to Congo.
Ango, Baka man
In some areas the scenario is worse. Wildlife officers and the troopers that accompany them on patrols routinely arrest, extort, harass and even torture Baka women and men. Many communities report that folks have died from their remedy by anti-poaching squads.
A authorities official has brazenly admitted that torture is just not solely acceptable however obligatory within the struggle towards poaching.
The wildlife officers began to beat us with their machetes, from dawn to sundown that day. Throughout my physique. They received others within the village collectively to take a seat down exterior and stare on the solar, threatening them in the event that they lowered their heads.
They made us carry their belongings to WWF’s base. And it was there that we almost died from their beatings. Afterwards we couldn’t stroll. It took all our energy to not die there on the highway.
Sese, Baka man
We got here throughout the anti-poaching squad on a principal highway. They wished to get info by torturing us. They beat a pregnant girl with a machete. They tackled me and I fell to the ground. They made us crawl on our knees for an awesome distance. Then they made us run as they adopted us on their motorbikes, for greater than a kilometer.
Modala, Baka man
What time is it?
Honey is the final word forest meals for the Baka, they usually eat 14 completely different sorts of it. Learn the way they describe the sounds bees make at completely different instances of day:
makelo: at daybreak
mongombela: within the early afternoon
mongombe: within the late afternoon
mojembo: within the night
mongenja: at any time of day
Over generations, the Baka have developed their very own refined codes of conservation. These forestall overhunting, since Baka consider that profitable looking and gathering is dependent upon sharing properly, each amongst themselves and with their setting.
They’ve in-depth data of forest vegetation – they use almost 500 themselves and acknowledge many extra – and of animal conduct. For instance, Baka have greater than a dozen phrases for the forest elephant, relying on its age, intercourse and character.
Research present that Baka work to enhance the forest setting for his or her animal neighbors. For instance, when Baka harvest wild yams, they usually go away a part of the foundation intact within the soil. This spreads pockets of yams by means of the forest, that are a favourite meals of elephants and wild boar.
They know their lands, and what occurs on them, higher than anybody else. But Baka complain that they’re unable to cross on these forest abilities and values to youthful generations, for the reason that violent abuse they face makes them afraid to journey with their households into the forest.
We all know when and the place the poachers are within the forest. However nobody will hearken to us.
Tango, Baka man
Pressured out of the forest, many Baka communities complain of a critical decline of their well being. Dwelling on the roadside, they’re more and more uncovered to malaria and different illnesses.
They’ll not harvest the medicinal vegetation they should keep wholesome, and are compelled to depend on staple meals with a decrease dietary content material. Alcoholism soars.
Now we’re falling in poor health due to the change in our food regimen. Our pores and skin doesn’t just like the solar and life within the village. Within the forest we’re wholesome and placed on weight. Now nobody has any muscle mass, everybody seems to be in poor health. We’re compelled to drink to neglect our troubles
Atono, Baka man
The Cameroonian authorities depends on highly effective conservation organisations, together with the World Vast Fund for Nature (WWF), to equip its “anti-poaching” squads.
Please write to WWF to make sure that its work within the Congo Basin doesn’t contribute to the persecution of the Baka.
The Baka names on this web page have been modified out of concern for his or her security.
Return to tribal conservationists.
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