Characterization of Human-Elephant Conflicts in and Around Ma Mbed Mbed National Park, Far North Cameroon

The clandestine occupation of national parks by some farmers does not fail to expose their lives dangerously. Elephants in these protected areas, no longer knowing where to go, pop up in plantations and camps and claim victims. A study was carried out from June 2023 to February 2024 and from June 2024 to November 2024 with the aim of characterizing Human-Elephant Conflicts (HEC) in and around the Ma Mbed Mbed National Park (MMMNP) in the Far North of Cameroon. To this end, a questionnaire was used to collect the opinions of farmers in villages located in and around the MMMNP. Survey data were supplemented by direct observations in the field. Of the 380 households surveyed, 277 were involved in HEC and 103 were not. Cereals, houses and sheds were the main crops and goods destroyed, with around 251 tonnes, one shed and six huts for the 2023-2024 season alone. The monetary loss of these destroyed cereals was estimated at 94,012,600 FCFA. The local population has adopted a range of rudimentary equipment to drive back these animals. The method used by the authorities to reduce HEC was the administrative drive. HEC occurs almost every year, with the peak of hostilities in October. The level of compensation was still zero. Given that the MMMNP shares a boundary with the Binder Léré forest reserve in the Republic of Chad, the possibility of cross-border poaching should not be overlooked. The park's bright future was threatened by low incomes and the population's heavy dependence on natural resources, which leads to farming and the collection of firewood in the park. The study recommends that the MMMNP should be well developed in terms of ponds, or that micro-projects such as pepper growing and bee-keeping, which are practices that repel elephants, should be developed. It would also be desirable to set up a rain-fed rice project. On the whole, this area is ideal for rice-growing.