Community-Based Conservation of Forest Elephants and Their Habitats in Campo Ma’an National Park

Objective

To protect forest elephants and restore their habitats in the Campo Ma’an landscape, while reducing human–wildlife conflicts and improving the livelihoods of local communities.

Context and challenges

The Campo Ma’an landscape, rich in biodiversity, is increasingly threatened by the expansion of industrial plantations, which destroy forests and intensify conflicts between elephants and rural communities. The project aims to restore natural habitats and promote nature-based solutions that reconcile conservation with community development.

Why it matters

By protecting forest elephants—an iconic and critically endangered species—the project contributes to the ecological and social stability of a threatened landscape. It also supports Indigenous communities in safeguarding their natural resources and traditional knowledge.

Areas of actions

• Implementation of nature-based solutions to reduce human–wildlife conflicts (beekeeping, deterrent crops).
• Ecological restoration of 30 hectares of forest habitats and establishment of a community nursery.
• Support for local incomes through the promotion of honey production, chili cultivation, and poultry farming.

Agriculture and Bio-conservation Organization for Youth Empowerment and Rural Development (ABOYERD)

Founded in 2017 by a group of young Cameroonian researchers, ABOYERD is a non-governmental organization committed to community-based conservation. The organization acts as a bridge between scientific rigor and local empowerment, working to protect Cameroon’s diverse ecosystems while strengthening the ecological and social resilience of rural communities.