Propose Strategies to Enhance the Biodiversity Status and Traditional Knowledge Systems Relevant for the Conservation of Pan Troglodytes Ellioti in the Kimbi-Fungom National Park and Kom-Wum Forest Reserve

This study entitle propose strategies to enhance the biodiversity status and traditional knowledge systems relevant for the conservation of Pan troglodytes ellioti was undertaken in the Kimbi-Fungom National Park (KWFR) and Kom-Wum Forest Reserve (KWFR) Northwest region of Cameroon. The main objective was to investigate sustainable tactics that will contribute to trim down pressure on Pan troglodytes ellioti and other flagship species around the study areas. Data collections were undertaken with the help of interviewed administered questionnaires, informal interview using interview guide, group discussion and direct observations activities. Following interviewees response, sixty eight (68%) of the respondents were confident that they could take up effective management of the K-FNP and K-WFR. Equally, 92% of respondents agreed to the fact that increasing population, poverty increment, insufficient modern health facilities, influx of new cultural activities due to loss of traditional taboos and totemic beliefs, remains greater threat to chimpanzees in the study areas. Most of the interviewees (74%) agreed that updating of knowledge on the abundance and distribution of chimpanzee, identifying location of all human activities especially huts, farms, shortcuts and illegal market in the park/reserve through regular patrols with eco-guards to reinforce order and ensure a better protection for chimpanzees is vital. Much more, 95% of respondent accepted the fact that old and new traditional knowledge of conservation such as taboos/law, totemic beliefs, sacred forests, royal species, automatic spiritual sanction, harvesting seasons should be revived and encourage through traditional institutions/council to better protect chimpanzees. Furthermore, 85% of interviewees accepted the suggestion that to get rid of poor traditional practices that uses chimpanzee's body parts/meat for medicine and rituals, can be replace with goats, sheep, pig, fouls body parts/meat. To reduce over dependent and conflicts on chimpanzees products and other natural resources, 97% of the respondents were in favour that income generating micro-projects such as fish farming, animal rearing, and market gardening should be promoted. Providing jobs through ecotourism activities such as forest clearance and excursions, construction of adequate and equip infrastructures were highly welcome by 99% of interviewees. To attain all these, regular conservation educational programmes in schools, meeting places and in “ngumba” houses should be promoted to well sensitize population on chimpanzee's conservation.

Northwest Region have indicated that healthy populations of Pan troglodytes ellioti existed in many areas remote from human settlements (Doumbé, 2014;Tsi and Chuo, 2016;Chuo, 2018). However, despite the fact that villages around the K-FNP and K-WFR has one of the lowest human population densities of any closest town, Pan troglodytes ellioti in this region are today in dramatic decline (Chuo and Tsi, 2017d). This is largely because of increased commercial hunting, the conversion and loss of habitat. These threats are exacerbated by the continuing growth of human populations within the range of P. t. ellioti and the development of the economies of the areas (Morgan et al., 2011). Hunting of chimpanzees to supply the bush meat trade highly demanded in unsustainable restaurants and as special meals for primitive traditional festivals/celebration and the rampant demand of body parts/meat for uses in traditional medicines/rituals (Chuo and Tsi, 2017e), is almost certainly the greatest threat to the survival of most P. t. ellioti populations. Habitat loss which result as forest within the range of P. t. ellioti continues to be lost, fragmented, and degraded; converted through agriculture, logging, grazing and fire (Morgan et al., 2011). Population fragmentation due to the combination of loss of habitat and hunting has been gradually fragmenting populations of P. t. ellioti, so that many of the remaining populations are now small and isolated; they are therefore at increased risk of extinction from disease and other unpredictable events (Morgan et al., 2011). Awareness of these threats, combined with the recognition that the extinction of our closest living relatives would be an inestimable loss, has driven the creation of many NGOs such as ERuDeF, COMAID, CIRMAD and SEKAKOH. In addition, there are many site based, national and international projects that work to conserve great apes in this region and around the nation. Despite all this, the continuing rapid decline of P. t. ellioti within the region indicates that past efforts are not sufficient, and that more is needed. In particular, successful protection of P. t. ellioti requires a more concerted and collaborative effort to establish priorities, and to identify partners and donors with which to implement and monitor such strategies. The following proposed action plan details such a strategy for protecting P. t. ellioti and other flagship species in the study areas. It is the result obtains from the study areas, where key players in great ape conservation were made to assist developed strategy for P. t. ellioti conservation. The aim was to investigate sustainable tactics that will contribute to trim down pressure on Pan troglodytes ellioti and whose potentials provide vital support to biodiversity conservation and partnership with all institutions for the benefit of the population, villagers in particular and Cameroon in general. To attain this, a strategic plan of action for a five years period was proposed with specific objective to;  To reduce the rate of habitat loss in the study areas  To reduce the rate of poaching in the study areas  To reduce over dependence on non forest timber products in the study areas  To promote ancient and new traditional taboos relevant for conservation processes  To enforce the implementation of wildlife and forestry norms in the study areas These objectives were focused on five main areas:  Updating knowledge on the abundance and distribution of chimpanzee and other primate species by carrying out regular patrols in study areas in order to ensure a better protection of these species and sustainable management of their natural habitats.  Promoting ecotourism activities and implementing income generating microprojects in order divert local people attention from hunting, grazing, and farming  Working out education, awareness and communication programs on natural resource conservation for local population living around study areas  To integrate traditional institutions, taboos/laws, knowledge and practices in sustainable management of the study areas for biodiversity conservation  Empowering legal and institutional department for the enforcement of laws by carrying out seminars with an aim of reviewing and proposing laws in favor of chimpanzee conservation in the study areas.

The location of the study areas
The K-FNP is situated in the North West region of Cameroon where it covers a total area of 95380 hectares. It is located between latitude 6° N and 7° N and longitude 9° E and 10°E. It has an altitude of about 900m to 2140m above sea level in the mountains and about 200m to 600m in the valleys (COMINSUD, 2014). It was created by prime ministerial decree number 2015/0024/PM of 3 February, 2015. The northern section of the park runs along the Cameroon-Nigeria border, while the Eastern, southern and Western parts of the park are within Cameroon territory (Tata, 2015). It equally share boundary with the Dumbo Cattle Ranch in the north eastward site The main rivers flowing through this  (Morgan et al., 2011). It was created in 1951 and was followed by reforestation initiatives that were implemented (but later neglected) by the National Forestry Fund. The K-WFR extends towards the western boundary of the region which stretches along the international border between Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. The main rivers that flow through this area are the rivers Ivin, Menchum, Nzele and Kimbi. All of these join the Kasina-la, which flows into Kasina-la State, Nigeria. It is presently manage by the Fundong and Wum councils. Figure 1, shows the map allocation of the study areas in NW Region of Cameroon.  During inventory proper, data were collected from multiple units of enquiry for this study through interviewed administered questionnaires, interview guide and direct observations and field notes taken. The interviewed administered questionnaires were used to solicit information from the household's heads while the interview guide, informal interview using unstructured script, helped collect data from the heads of the institutions (wildlife officials/wildlife division staffs, the agricultural development unit, locally employed ecoguard, and non-government organizations) and the traditional authorities. A total of 384 questionnaires were attempted and only 288 valid household heads responded to complete interviewed administered questionnaires within the 22 villages. Households along village paths were randomized by sampling every second household encountered as the interviewers moved through the village. Adult men, women, and youths were targeted. In sampling the population of each household, the interviewed was attributed to the older family member and any other contribution from family members were considered same for that interview. Data analysis recorded from people's perception began by decoding data sheets and information obtained from respondents during interviewer administered questionnaire survey were entered into Microsoft excels and analyzed in line with the objective. Based on the research questions, themes were identified from the data and given meaning. Finally, field data results were presented in the form of table, figure, frequencies, and percentages.

Demographic factors of the interviewees
Figuring out the age, sex, education and livelihood activities of interviewee's shows that about 52.3% of the respondents surveyed were males while 47.9% were females. With respect to the age structure, majority 87% of the respondents were within the economic active group (20-59) and the old (60+) constituted 13%. As such, the improper distribution of human resources to accommodate the needs of the increasing population has made the study areas susceptible to poaching by the local communities for survival. The educational status of the interviewees was also computed for the survey. Result indicates that 35.5% of the respondents did not have any form of formal education. While 48.5%, 18.5 % and 2.5% had elementary, secondary and tertiary level of education respectively. The survey also revealed that the people lack the requisite education and required occupational skills that would enable them to compete effectively for different types of jobs or alternative livelihood activities.
The main sources of livelihood activities were farming (94%) was the major occupation as most of the other activities; hunting (74%), logging (24%), traditional healing (24.5%) gathering NTFP (35.5%) and others (10.5%) like artisan works and constructions were reported being undertaken alongside farming.

Interviewees aspiration toward the building of a proposed strategic action plan
During data collection, questions were designed to find out if respondents were confident that they can partake in the effective management of the K-FNP and K-WFR if given the opportunity. Figure 2 shows the percentages of respondents confident to partake in the management of the study areas.

Fig.2: Percentages of respondent confident to partake in the management of the study areas.
Figure 2, shows that 68% interviewees were confident that they could partake effectively in management of the K-FNP and K-WFR, 24% said that they could not while 8% had no idea. Therefore, the majority of the local forest resource users believed that the management of the study areas would be best in the hands of traditional institutions/councils while the state would simply be an overseer. Whereas those who had no confident believe it is dully the state that decides what to do, where to do, how to do and the time to do. One of the respondents went further to say during the creation of the K-FNP; they were not part of it neither was their chief invited. It was only after the creation of the park, that the chiefs and his elite were inform that part of their land made up the national park.
Equally, questions were designed to find out if the hunting of chimpanzees was due to increasing population, poverty increment, insufficient modern health facilities, and influx of new cultural activities due to loss of traditional taboos and totemic beliefs that push people to hunt chimpanzees. Figure 3 shows the percentages of respondents to factors that influences the hunting of chimpanzees in the study areas.  Form the result, 92% agreed these factors were the main force to the hunting of chimpanzees. While on the other hand, 8% did not totally agree that these factors could be the only reasons for hunting chimps. For instance, one of them said before the coming of modern social way of living, certain ancient tradition secretly permitted even in the presence of deathly taboos which automatically sanction defaulters the hunting of chimpanzees. The chief priest who had the power of auto cleansing will send out one of his elite to hunt a chimpanzee for a particular ritual known only by them to avoid spilling human blood. Chuo and Tsi (2017b) in their study around Mbengkas village reported the same kind of issue in which chimpanzees are secretly hunted and sacrifice for village cleansing. Furthermore, interviewees were question on updating of knowledge on the abundance and distribution of chimpanzee areas, identifying and reporting location of all human activities especially huts, farms, shortcuts and illegal market in the park/reserve to assist eco-guards through regular patrols to reinforce order and ensure a better protection for chimpanzees. Up to 74% of the interviewees agreed that they were ready to constantly release information concerning chimpanzees status, 20% did not abide to it as they think it will implicate them or their fellow brothers and 6% remain neutral.
Much more, respondents were question if they belief that old and new traditional knowledge of conservation such as taboos/law, totemic beliefs, sacred forests, royal species, automatic spiritual sanction, harvesting seasons if revived and encourage through traditional institutions/council will better protect chimpanzees. Figure 4 shows the percentages of respondent traditional knowledge of conservation. Respondent (95%) accepted the fact that old and new traditional knowledge of conservation such as taboos/law, totemic beliefs, sacred forests, royal species, automatic spiritual sanction, harvesting seasons if revived and encourage through traditional institutions/council will better protect chimpanzees. While the remaining 5% were those who were ignorant of such traditional knowledge of conservation. Respondents were question if it is possible to get rid of poor traditional practice that uses chimpanzee's body parts/meat for medicine and rituals by replacing them with those of goats, sheep, pig, fouls and other domestic animals. Many of the interviewees 85% accepted the replacing of chimpanzee's body parts/meat for medicine/ rituals with those of goats, sheep, pig, fouls and domestic animals. However, 15% interviewees did not abide with the replacement of chimpanzee's body parts/meat with those of other animals. For instance, one of them said tradition is tradition and it should be given it place and another respondent said this is so dangerous and expensive as those who are involve may risks lives or even die if not approve by the gods and he ended saying they can't accept that. Chuo and Tsi (2017), in their study in this same study areas reported cases like this that resulted to conflicts and recommended that this kind of situation should be handle with great caution in order to fully convince the affected party.
Notwithstanding, questions were posed if respondents will stop their over dependent on chimpanzee's products and other NFTPs, if they are promoted to income generating micro-projects such as fish farming, animal rearing, and market gardening. Looking at the responses, 97% of the respondents said it will be effective and interesting if income generating micro-projects such as fish farming, animal rearing, and market gardening are promoted. However, 3% of the informant did not see this as a possibility as one of them exclaim, we have bad road to ease transportation of products to city markets since our people are poor and solely depend on hand to mouth products which they themselves produce. Finally, interviewees (99%) were very much happy and excited when asked if they cherish the idea of getting jobs through ecotourism activities such as forest clearance and excursions of tourist into the forest, constructing and equipping infrastructures for them to promote chimpanzee conservation. One of the informants so excited said if this is done considered all the chimpanzees in this forest protected. While 1% of the informant did not see this as a possibility pointing it clearly that our government is poor for such kind of activities to be establish in their villages.

Proposed strategic action plan for the conservation of chimpanzees in the study areas
To produce the proposed strategic action plan presented in table 1, resulted from all the information gathered during interviewed administer questionnaire from indigenous people and those obtained from experts like protected areas managers, government officials and representatives of national and international nongovernmental organizations were group to give reliable ideas that aided to produce this action plan and a strategy for its five years renewable implementation. This action plan identifies priorities for Pan troglodytes ellioti and their populations, indicating the measures required and the means to address them. It is hope that this work will provide a clear investment plan for researchers, conservationists, and donors and, most importantly, will assist governments in developing strategies for the conservation of Pan troglodytes ellioti and other flag ship species. Table 1, shows a summary of the proposed strategic practical intervention measures for the conservation of chimpanzees and the sustainable management of the K-FNP and K-WFR as proposed by key respondents.   /dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaems.4.4.15  ISSN: 2454-1311 measures required and the means to address them. It content is developed from information solicited from villagers and stakeholders encountered during field inventory. For instance, 68% of the respondents were confident that they could take up effective management of the K-FNP and K-WFR. Even though increasing population, poverty increment, insufficient modern health facilities, influx of new cultural activities due to loss of traditional taboos and totemic beliefs, remains greater threat to chimpanzees, respondents agreed that they will assist to knowledge on the abundance and distribution of chimpanzee, location of all human activities especially huts, farms, shortcuts and illegal market in the park/reserve through regular patrols with eco-guards to reinforce order and ensure a better protection for chimpanzees. Majority of respondent willingness to the fact that old and new traditional knowledge of conservation such as taboos/law, totemic beliefs, sacred forests, royal species, automatic spiritual sanction, harvesting seasons should be revived and encourage through traditional institutions/council to better protect chimpanzees. Equally, goats, sheep, pig, fouls and other domestic animals body parts/meat suggested were accepted by many of the interviewees to replace the use of chimpanzee's body parts/meat for medicinal and rituals or as means to get rid of poor traditional practices. A good number of respondents positively desire to welcome income generating micro-projects such as fish farming, animal rearing, and market gardening promoters, and to partake to jobs relating to ecotourism activities such as forest clearance and excursions of tourist and in construction works. With all this and many more put in place, gives hope that this work will provide a clear investment plan for researchers, conservationists, and donors and, most importantly, will assist governments in developing strategies for the conservation of Pan troglodytes ellioti and other flag ship species in/around the study areas and thus the following recommendation..

V. RECOMMENDATION
There is need for equity and fair distribution of benefits for a better collaboration among the stakeholders and villagers to ensure efficiency in the conservation of Pan troglodytes ellioti and in the execution of sustainable utilization of natural resources and management of the K-FNP and K-WFR. This can be achieved through;

Sensitization campaign
Wildlife officials, NGOs, conservationists and researchers should be deliberately strengthened to embark on educational activities around the villages of the park and reserve. These educational efforts should be aimed at sensitizing the villagers, local communities and wildlife officials on sustainable forest management issues. That is;  Undertake an awareness campaign directed at villagers, local communities and wildlife officers, emphasizing the unique and precarious nature of this chimpanzee population.  Improve awareness on laws governing chimpanzee protection in all surrounding villages. By establishing community awareness and conservation education programme in schools and communities and increase dialogue with community groups to support conservation action. Equally, maintaining levels of villagers support for the park and reserve by introducing alternative livelihoods and the development of eco-tourism.  Extend chimpanzees focused conservation education to workers of adjacent commercial agriculture and cattle grazers especially those of the Dumbo range and enlist their greater involvement in conservation processes.  To educate and encourage the villagers on their ancient traditional knowledge systems and the important in reviving and implementing those taboos/cultural laws that are environmentally friendly while complementing bad traditional belief with alternative but sustainable ones to permit the continuity of their tradition and enhanced natural resource management.

Local Community Building
NGOs partners, ( such as Erudef, WCS, WWF, CIRMAID, SAKAKO), communities, MINFOF and conservationists should create and made efforts to strengthen the capacity of traditional councils, groups and local government institutions to ensure a collaborative approach towards sustainable management through consultation, needs assessment, investigation, synthesis and consensus. Building among others sustainable conflict management and exploitation of natural resources to prosper utilization and management of the social and economic benefits. More precisely to;  Establish a chimpanzee survey and monitoring programme with greater involvement of villagers. Support and build on taboos regarding chimpanzee hunting  Recruit, train and equip a minimum of 30 additional village forestry guards to augment present staffing levels in Kimbi-Fungom National Park. Equally, increase from 10 to 20 council forestry guards by the Fundong council and encourage the Wum council to recruit from 1 to 8 council forestry guards to assure protection Concerted efforts should be made by the stakeholders to create a legal commission in order to provide resolution to the type, nature, level and impact of conflicts around the study areas. That is, develop a well-structured conflict management mechanism aimed at ensuring proper cooperation between managers and resource users. Reviewing Current Park and Reserve situation MINFOF and local councils should clearly clarify the current park and reserve boundaries and the possible buffer zones limits to the local communities. This will go a long way to ensure support for a well-structured management mechanism aimed at ensuring proper cooperation between managers and resource users as well as avoiding interest conflict. Thus it is vital to;  Complete activities related to the establishment of the Kimbi-Fugom national park including demarcation of the boundary and finalization of the management plan in order to increase villagers knowledge of national park status and future buffer zones  Review current boundary situation and legally gazette a new Kom-Wum Forest Reserve boundary to stop all illegal farming, logging and hunting inside the reserve.

Law Enforcement Priority Actions
It is necessary for all the stakeholders to come together and ensure that legislation is enacted to support collaborative natural resource management and Pan troglodytes ellioti conservation in the study areas. That is;  Improve law enforcement, training, monitoring and supervision of rangers and provide field equipment and vehicles, and improve patrol incentives.  Encourage coordination and awareness building amongst all stakeholders to strengthen chimpanzee conservation awareness and reduce human-chimpanzee conflict  Develop and support law enforcement activities to curb all illegal activities and promote regular monitoring of human activities  Campaign to stop the live trade of infant chimpanzees and sale of chimpanzee meat and body parts by identifying, monitoring and targeting illegal markets and specialist hunters and searching of suspicious homes.  Capacity building for wildlife officials for planning and executing special operations to arrest and prosecute chimpanzee hunters  Strengthen levels of protection by removing all hunter's and farmer's camps and prevent any reoccurrence by providing mitigating impact of enclaves and plan for their resettlement  Promote national and international tourism, thus generating income for local villagers and for the sustainable management of the national park and the reserve.

Trans-boundary issues Priority Actions
There is also the need for MINFOR and other stakeholders to frequently holds legislative talks to effectively secure both Nigeria-Cameroon boarders and easily trapped down defaulters while maintaining the overall health of the ecosystem services and conservation of endangered species. This can be done by;  Signing of a joint inter-governmental agreement for improved collaboration between contiguous protected areas and other areas of high biodiversity value closer to Nigeria  Improve levels of communication and coordinate conservation efforts through an annual joint planning meeting between Nigeria and Cameroon  Encouraging joint patrols between contiguous protected areas and target illegal timber trade and the sale of endangered species  Coordinate joint biological surveys and exchange of data  Creating an awareness campaign targeting all trans-boundary law enforcement, customs, and immigration officials.

Areas for Future Study
Lack of sufficient base-line information in these areas, hampers adequate knowledge on the ecology and factors that limit the population of Pan troglodytes ellioti. For instance, many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation status: not simply the number of individuals remaining, distribution threat and traditional knowledge systems, but also the knowledge of the species' ecology and habitat range, social and behavioural characteristics, their phylogeography and genetic structures and symbiotic fauna are of great interest. Equally their group composition, their distribution limit, their different food types and breeding success rates are also very important as well as practices and social mechanism of traditional societies. Therefore, NGOs, Universities, conservationists, researchers and Wildlife officials should be given priority to undertake constant research throughout the study areas to enable continuous data provisions to ease the possibility of improving Pan troglodytes ellioti and other wildlife species conservation. Great attention should be paid to;  Surveys should be conducted to clarify the status and distribution of chimpanzees in the K-FNP and K-WFR. Equally, surveys should be carried out in non protected areas or poorly known chimpanzee's habitat in order to expand population monitoring efforts around the study areas suspected to harbour chimpanzees. This is to help in the protection of corridors linking in fragmented chimpanzee habitats.  Conduct more extensive population genetic analyses to clarify (a) how P. t. ellioti is related to other chimpanzee subspecies; (b) the genetic variability within P. t. ellioti; and (c) the degree of connectivity between communities across the region  Research on habitat structure should be carryout to identify tree and herb species present, and their densities to allow comparison of forest productivity and food availability across different sites.  A phenology study should be undertaken in order to research the annual cycle and productivity of chimpanzee feeding trees species at the site to allow estimation of seasonal variation in forest productivity and food availability for chimpanzees.  A research on the ambiance environment should be effectuated to provide annual changes in climatic variable at the sites. Daily rainfall (mm), daily minimum and maximum temperature ( o c) and daily maximum and minimum humidity (%) are important variables to make cross-site comparisons.  Research should equally be carryout to uncover new tool types, new tool techniques and distribution of tool use sites of Chimpanzee throughout the study areas. This is to permit understand chimpanzee intelligence and culture within the study areas.  Research on chimpanzee isotope samples should be carried out to determine the diet of the chimpanzees in particular, the amount of meat or protein consumed. The collection of samples should be correspond to trophic level, forest cover, photosynthetic pathway and other biological properties of the main dietary sources of chimpanzees.  Research should be carryout to identify the diet of chimpanzees through faecal sample collection and analyses, and determine their nutritional status from urine samples.  Equally, research should be undertaken to determine the genetic and pathogenic aspect of chimpanzees using faecal and other organic samples such as sperm plugs and food remains of chimpanzees. This is to obtain additionally information on their genetic structure, parasite content, sex ratio, group structure and composition, home range size, habitat use, and diet.  A research should be conducted throughout the study areas to identify the wide use of wildlife products and research for sustainable alternatives one build on taboos regarding wildlife hunting that can replace them.  Introduce use of Cyber tracker for recce surveys by park rangers and line transects in suspected key chimpanzee areas to ease research.  Further research should be conducted on the socio-cultural and ecological linkages as well as their contribution to the use of traditional knowledge systems for biodiversity conservation. That is, to investigate strategies that can effectively remove human activities that has a negative impact on the preservation of biodiversity around parks and reserves.  Further work must molecularly determine the origin of the skin and bush meat in the markets in order to assess the frequency of the species traded and assign their geographical origin.  Finally, cultural anthropological studies specifically centered on the use and symbolic incorporation and appropriation of non-human body parts will help to understand how such practices are disseminated.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
We declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
success of this work. My immense thanks and appreciation goes to all councils and wildlife authorities and their dynamic staff that harbors the study areas for their encouragement and provision of vital information. My sincere gratitude equally goes to the chiefs and villagers especially the respondents for their gallant cooperation and unconditional support during my stay with them. I love you all! God bless and keep you safe!!!.