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Primates are
being protected. CERCOPAN’s two education and primate rehabilitation centres,
the focal points for the organization, are operational. One has been located in
Calabar, since 1995, and one has been in Rhoko near Iko Esai, since 2003. Over
100 primates have been donated or rescued whose parents have been killed for
illegal bush meat consumption.
Forests are
being protected. The community of Iko Esai is actively conserving
approximately 12,000 hectares of community forests in its area, including 400
hectares of core protected land within the Akamkpa Local Government Area (LGA)
adjacent to Cross River National Park.
Communities
are involved in actively managing their forests to protect wildlife and
their habitat. Iko Esai has agreed to a community-wide ban on hunting of all
primates; community members are currently employed in patrolling protected
areas.
Communities
are benefiting in many ways from conservation: One way that the Iko Esai
community is benefiting economically is from eco-tourism and visits to the Rhoko
Education and Research Centre in Akamkpa LGA and associated forest areas;
visitors pay entrance fees which includes a ‘tourism royalty’ which go to the
community for its development efforts.
Community
infrastructures such as bridges, water points and health services are being
provided, with ongoing benefits accruing to the community of Iko Esai.
University
and secondary students of Cross River State are ‘learning by doing’ at the
Rhoko Education and Research Centre
Many student
projects are being supported at various levels at the research centre at
Rhoko Camp, including international research projects; this field research
facility includes many kilometres of transect lines and 50 plots of one hectare
in a grid pattern for locating observations as well as research facilities,
reference materials and a one-hectare enclosure for primate behavioural
research.
Students
from 70 primary and secondary schools in Cross River State are involved in
conservation education through outreach by, and visits to, CERCOPAN. A large
environmental rally is held in Calabar annually on World Environment Day
involving several thousands of Nigerian students. It celebrates student
activities and involves many community institutions.
Staff are
building their capacity at CERCOPAN, and have taken part in training in most
areas of the operation; they contribute more and more extensively to the overall
success of education, research, primate rehabilitation, and community
development programmes and maintenance of facilities. Eight key staff are taking
recognized correspondence courses in primate conservation.
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