The Knowledge about the Potential Health Risks of Illegal Bushmeat Activities among Local Communities Adjacent to Western Nyerere National Park, Tanzania
| dc.contributor.author | Foya, Yohani R. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mgeni, Charles P. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Kadigi, Reuben M. J. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Kimaro, Michael H. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Hassan, Shombe N. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-05-30T07:10:46Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-05-30T07:10:46Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-01-19 | |
| dc.description | Tanzania. Open Journal of Ecology, 13, 22-36. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Establishing knowledge of local communities regarding the potential health risks of illegal bushmeat hunting and its related practices is among the essen- tial means to developing effective conservation and public health programs. To reveal the understanding of the local people regarding the potential health risks of bushmeat consumption and handling of wildlife products, we used a semi-structured questionnaire to survey 261 households in eight villages lo- cated adjacent to the western part of Nyerere National Park. Also, we inter- viewed eight key informants, including conservation personnel and veteri- nary officers, in the study area. The proportion of local people who were un- aware that handling of wildlife products and bushmeat consumption were risky behaviours towards acquiring zoonotic diseases was slightly higher (57%) than the proportion of respondents who were aware of the likely risks of zoonotic diseases from the practices. After all, the majority (83%) of local people admitted having come into contact with wildlife products, while over 70% reported having consumed bushmeat. We found that local communities living closer to the park boundaries (<15 km) have a higher likelihood of contacting wildlife products, and that community members who have lived in the area for more than ten years have experienced more contact with wildlife products than immigrants. Moreover, the age of inhabitants and length of stay were found to be the most significant factors in determining the likelih- ood of bushmeat consumption. Most people seemed to prefer bushmeat to domestic meat, arguing that bushmeat is far more flavorful, tender, not tainted with chemicals, and has less fat, making it safer. Our study demon- strated that local communities participate in risky practices without contem- plating the health consequences that could emerge should a zoonotic disease outbreak occur. Among other strategies, we recommended conservation and public health institutions to increase awareness campaigns on the possible health risks of zoonotic diseases associated with wildlife. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/5278 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Scientific Research Publishing | en_US |
| dc.subject | Local Communities | en_US |
| dc.subject | Bushmeat Consumption | en_US |
| dc.subject | Wildlife Products | en_US |
| dc.subject | Zoonotic Diseases | en_US |
| dc.subject | Awareness | en_US |
| dc.title | The Knowledge about the Potential Health Risks of Illegal Bushmeat Activities among Local Communities Adjacent to Western Nyerere National Park, Tanzania | en_US |
| dc.type | Article | en_US |
| dc.url | https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2023.131003 | en_US |