Small Ruminant Grazers and Stakeholders Thoughts in the Sustainable Management of Biodiversity in the Kilum Montane Forest of the Northwest Region of Cameroon: An Overview

This study examined the views of stakeholders and small ruminant grazers on the sustainable management of biodiversity in the Kilum Montane Forest of the Northwest region of Cameroon. Respondents were drawn from a cross section of small ruminant grazers and stakeholders involved in livestock production and the conservation of biodiversity in the study area. 145 small ruminant grazers were chosen through a simple random sampling method (SRS). The stakeholders were the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA), Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), Ministry of Territorial Administration (MINAT), Ministry of Environment, Nature protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) and local NGOs). Data was collected through the administration of semi-structured questionnaires for small ruminant grazers and interview guide for stakeholders. Data on socio-economic characteristic of small ruminant grazers and the perception of stakeholders on the conservation of biodiversity in the study area. Data was analysis using SPSS version 16. The socio-economic characteristics of respondents were described using descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies, and percentages. The perceptions of stakeholders and small ruminant grazers in the research region were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. The findings revealed that all of the small ruminant grazers were men (100 percent). The findings also revealed that the bulk of these grazers (55.2 percent) were adults between the ages of 41 and 60, followed by old males over 61 years (41 percent), and finally, adolescents between the ages of 21 and 40 years (13 percent). Age, educational status and primary occupation of respondents showed a significant difference on the perceptive desire for respondents to graze small ruminants in the study area. The regression coefficients and their significance respectively were R=3.791, P=0.00; R= 2.270...P=0.025 and R=3.026.and P=0.003 respectively). The study concluded that human/wildlife conflicts exist in the study area. In addition, small ruminant grazers have a negative attitude towards the conservation of biodiversity. More efforts should be geared towards the sensitisation of communities on the benefits of biodiversity conservation.