15 April 2003
By Reuters
YAOUNDE, Cameroon — Gorilla, chimpanzee, and elephant will
now be off the menu in Cameroon.
Authorities in the central African country announced Monday that
any restaurant caught serving meat from endangered animals could
face up to three years in prison and a fine of more than $16,000.
Top wildlife official Denis Koulagna said the animals might be
exterminated within a decade if hunting for so-called bushmeat was
not stopped.
As well as being the main source of protein for many impoverished
villagers in Cameroon's forests, bushmeat is a delicacy for rich
city dwellers.
Hunters can easily earn up to $1,000 a year — far more than
most Cameroonians.
"Though habitat loss has often been cited as the primary cause
of wildlife extinction, commercial bushmeat hunting has become the
most immediate threat," said Koulagna.
Source: Reuters
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