Abstract:
In Benin, due to habitat disturbance due to strong anthropogenic pressure, some pholidote
species have become vulnerable or even threatened, as is the case with tree pangolins. Thus, the
problem of wildlife conservation, especially that of pholidotes, becomes worrying. The overall
objective of the study is to determine the preferred habitats and threats to the tree pangolin
population in the Monts Kouffé protected forest.
The method used to collect biogeographical data is based on surveys followed by forest surveys
and interviews with the local population. Thus, clues of the presence of Phataginus tricuspis
(smell of the animal, tree cavities, claws of the animal against trees in savannah, open forest,
dense dry forest and gallery forest in the hunting areas of Manigri Ikanni, Manigri Oké, and
Agbassa) were sought and this through excavations in the savannahs. The Menly Alpha Habitat
Preference Index was calculated to determine the habitat preference of the tree pangolin and the
frequency of threat observations on this animal population. The species frequents open forests,
gallery forests, dense-dry forests, wooded savannahs, shrub savannahs. But nevertheless, it has a
strong preference for dense dry forests with the Menly alpha index equal to 0.8. The decline of
the species’ populations is facilitated by several factors that constitute direct or indirect threats
affecting the distribution of the species. These threats are: deforestation (49.05%), illegal hunting
(22.64%), human occupations (13.20%), transhumance (7.54%) and wildland fires (7.54%). |
