#centralafricanrepublic — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/africa/213442/ Africa faces the costs of the US-Iran war | Article Preview #AbebeAemroSelassie #Africa #AfricaFacesTheCostsOfTheUSIranWar #AidCompoundsShocks #AjayBanga #Burundi #CentralAfricanRepublic #Egypt #Ethiopia #InternationalMonetaryFund #Iran #Israel #KristalinaGeorgieva #Lesotho #Mauritania #Nigeria #Russia #Somalia #SouthAfrica #states #Ukraine #united #WorldBank

Trump Wants to Make Deportation Deals. Autocrats Are Ready to Listen.

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/04/world/africa/trump-deportation-africa-migrants.html

Touadera sworn in for third term in Central African Republic

Faustin-Archange Touadera was sworn in for a third term as president of the Central African Republic after winning a disputed December election with nearly 78% of the vote that the opposition largely boycotted. #News #Reuters #Newsfeed #centralafricanrepublic #presidentialelection #africapolitics 👉 Subscribe: Keep up with the latest news from around the world: Follow Reuters on Facebook: Follow Reuters on X:…

https://fllics.com/en/video/touadera-sworn-in-for-third-term-in-central-african-republic/

Putin Says Russia’s Military Exports Have Grown Despite Western Pressure https://www.byteseu.com/1760764/ #$15Billion #AfricanNations #CentralAfricanRepublic #ExportRevenue #MilitaryCooperation #MilitaryExports #Putin #Russia #TradeRelations #WesternPressure

Ummmm... From #wikipedia:

The #WagnerGroup (Russian: #ГруппаВагнера, romanized: Gruppa Vagnera), officially known as PMC Wagner (ЧВК «Вагнер»), is a #Russian state-funded private military company (#PMC) controlled until 2023 by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former close ally of Russia's president Vladimir #Putin, and since then by Pavel Prigozhin. The Wagner Group has used infrastructure of the Russian Armed Forces. Evidence suggests that Wagner has been used as a proxy by the Russian government, allowing it to have plausible deniability for military operations abroad, and hiding the true casualties of Russia's foreign interventions.

"The group emerged during the war in #Donbas, where it helped Russian separatist forces in #Ukraine from 2014 to 2015. Wagner played a significant role in the later full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, for which it recruited Russian prison #inmates for frontline combat. By the end of 2022, its strength in Ukraine had grown from 1,000 to between 20,000 and 50,000. It was reportedly Russia's main assault force in the Battle of Bakhmut. Wagner has also supported regimes friendly with Russia, including in the civil wars in #Syria, #Libya, the #CentralAfricanRepublic, and #Mali. In Africa, it has offered regimes security in exchange for the transfer of diamond and gold mining contracts to Russian companies. Wagner operatives have been accused of #WarCrimes including #murder, #torture, #rape and #robbery of #civilians, as well as #torturing and killing accused #Deserters.

[...]

"Early in 2020, #ErikPrince, founder of the #Blackwater private military company, sought to provide military services to the Wagner Group in its operations in Libya and #Mozambique, according to The Intercept. By March 2021, Wagner PMCs were reportedly also deployed in #Zimbabwe, #Angola, #Guinea, #GuineaBissau, and possibly the #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner_Group
#ErikPrinceColonialism #PutinsArmy #CorporateColonialism #Oligarchy

It’s an open secret: the UAE is fuelling Sudan’s war – and there’ll be no peace until we call it out | Husam Mahjoub | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/24/uae-sudan-war-peace-emirates-uk-us-officials

#Sudan
#UAE
#War
#SAF
#RSF
#Africa
#Haftar
#Wagner
#HumanRightsWatch
#Genocide
#WarCrimes
#Libya
#Chad
#CentralAfricanRepublic
#SouthSudan
#Darfur
#Uganda
#UN
#Famine
#Disease
#USSpecialEnvoyForSudan

#Communiqué: United in the Fight Against #Mpox in Africa - #High-Level #Emergency Regional #Meeting

We, the Ministers of #Health of #Angola, #Benin, #Burundi, #Cameroon, #CentralAfricanRepublic, #Congo, #RDC, #Gabon, #Ghana, #Liberia, #Nigeria, #Uganda and partners, meeting in #Kinshasa, #DemocraticRepublicCongo on 13 April 2024;

NOTING WITH CONCERN the prolonged and ongoing #epidemic of #mpox in several Central and West African countries and the #potential #risk of #transmission to #neighbouring countries and beyond;
SERIOUSLY CONCERNED about the changing transmission dynamics, high #mortality rate and transmissibility of the monkeypox #virus, as well as the morbidity, mortality and social and #economic #impacts;
AWARE of the limitations on access to and acquisition of #medical #countermeasures, including #diagnostics,# treatments, #vaccines and other tools for early detection, verification, care, treatment and prevention;

RECOGNIZING the common threat posed by the mpox outbreak to the health and economic security of the populations of the Central and West African regions and the urgent need to address this common threat by all member states of the African Union;
ACKNOWLEDGING the existing frameworks, protocols, strategies and agreements for cross-border solidarity, collaboration and coordination on infectious disease issues,....

CONVINCED of the #urgent need to strengthen preparedness and response to mpox at points of entry and within the respective national borders of #AU Member States, including the need for a #coordinated regional and sub-regional approach to prepare and respond effectively and rapidly to mpox and other similar #epidemics;
NOTING the need for a strong national focus on the recommended comprehensive interventions (surveillance, contact tracing, community engagement, #vaccination and targeted research);
COMMENDING national #governments in the region for their ongoing reflections and analyses of the situation, as well as their efforts to respond to mpox epidemics, including collaborative initiatives on mpox research to fill knowledge gaps;
COMMENDING Africa #CDC, #WHO, #UNICEF, #US #CDC, #USAID, #CEPI, Wellcome Trust, GAVI and other technical and financial partners for their support to the mpox response, including cross-border collaboration between affected and at-risk neighbouring countries;

Collectively, we resolve and commit our governments and institutions to:
https://africacdc.org/news-item/communique-united-in-the-fight-against-mpox-in-africa-high-level-emergency-regional-meeting/

#Afrika #afrique #africa #افريقيا

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Vulnerable

Extant (resident)

Central African Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Rwanda; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia

Known for their unnerving and intense stare and imposing, prehistoric appearance – shoebills are magnificent birds. There are less than 8000 individual birds left alive. They are vulnerable from #palmoil, #cocoa and #meat #deforestation, agricultural run-off, #pollution, #mining, #hunting and human persecution. Help them every time you shop and be #vegan, #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

The #Shoebill is a magnificent and gentle big bird 🕊️🦤 with an unnerving stare 👀 There are only 8000 left alive in #DRC, #Uganda #Africa. Vulnerable from #palmoil #deforestation, #hunting and more. Fight for them! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/10/shoebill-balaeniceps-rex/

Known for their menacing stare 👀😸 gentle #shoebills are iconic in #Uganda 🇺🇬 #Congo 🇨🇩 #Tanzania 🇹🇿 They are vulnerable from #hunting, #palmoil #deforestation. Help them and be #vegan 🥕🍆 and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔☠️🔥⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/10/shoebill-balaeniceps-rex/

There are less than 8,000 birds left alive and they are increasingly threatened by agricultural run-off from palm oil and cocoa deforestation across their range.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V7t28Fim34

The shoebill Balaeniceps rex is also known by the common names: the whale-headed stork, shoebill stork and whalehead. Their eponymous feature is their enormous bill They have the third largest bills after pelicans and large storks.

Fast Facts

• When shoebills soar they make around 150 flaps per minute which makes them one of the slowest of any bird, with the exception of the larger stork species.
• They stand stock-still and waiting, all alone giving them an eerie and unnerving appearance. Once they notice fish appearing on the surface of swamps they quickly snap them up into their large bills.
• The shoebill’s chattering large bill makes a sound akin to machine gun fire. This combined with their silent creeping gait can make them seem rather menacing!

https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/11bnvkd/the_unexpected_sound_of_a_shoebill_stork/?utm_source=embedv2&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_content=action_bar

• Shoebills are attracted to poorly oxygenated waters, as this means fish must come to the surface to breathe – where they are efficiently captured.
• They are mostly silent except for elaborate bill-clattering communication that happens during their breeding. Chicks make a human-like hiccup sound when signalling hunger.

• Although they have a similar appearance to storks, shoebills are more closely related to pelicans and herons in the order Pelecaniformes.

Appearance & Behaviour

They possess extraordinarily large feet with their middle toe extending up to 18.5 cm in length. This helps them with balance while standing on uneven swamps and on aquatic vegetation while they hunt.

Adults have feathers that range from blue-grey to slate-grey. Juveniles possess similar plumage but in a tawny blue-brown hue.

Shoebills have a modestly sized bill at birth, which grows much larger once chicks reach between 23-43 days old.

Their unusual beauty makes them a must-see for birdwatchers in Africa. Despite their slightly unnerving appearance, these birds are placid and will allow birdwatchers to snap their photo at a range of two metres.

Shoebills are known for staying statue-still and silent in the muddy waters while hunting. These birds stalk their prey in a solitary way, patiently lurking and hunting entirely with their vision. Once prey is spotted they launch a rapid strike. They will sometimes use their big beaks to pry deep into the pond mud and extirpate lung fish with a violent strike.

They are normally silent but will get noisy during nesting season with elaborate bill clattering displays. Adults birds will make a ‘moo’ sound and high pitched whine while clattering their bills in order to communicate with each other. Chicks call out to their mothers with a ‘hiccup’ sound.

Shoebills typically hunt for lungfish and other fish in poorly oxygenated marshlands, bogs, peatland and swamps. Fish frequently break to the surface to breathe – it is then that shoebills rapidly strike. Their large feet enable them to balance on floating vegetation. The movement of hippos can aid the hunting of shoebills, as they rustle up fish from bottom of swamps, pushing them to surface for the shoebills’ easy capture.

Threats

There is estimated to be below 8,000 individual shoebills left and they are classified as vulnerable. Shoebills face a range of anthropogenic threats:

• Palm oil and cocoa deforestation: The mass removal of virgin rainforest for palm oil and cocoa results in mass deaths of shoebills.
• Infrastructure building: roads, dams and powerlines pose a risk to shoebills.
• Meat deforestation: cattle and other animals are known to trample shoebill nests.
• Pollution run-off: from palm oil agrochemicals and mining effluent.
• Hunting: In some cultures shoebills are thought of as a bad omen, in others they are hunted for food.
• Capture for the pet trade: Shoebill eggs and chicks are captured for consumption or sold to zoos.
• Armed human conflict: Armed groups moving through the rainforest has facilitated hunting of shoebills.
• Climate change: Increased extreme weather events like fires and droughts brought on by climate change lowers their numbers.

Habitat

Shoebills are found in central tropical Africa. Including South Sudan, eastern Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, western Tanzania, and northern Zambia. They are non-migratory birds who make limited seasonal movements.

They live in dense freshwater swamps and marshes including undisturbed papyrus and reed beds. They are attracted to areas of mixed vegetation and have been seen on occasion in rice fields and flooded plantations.

Diet

Shoebills mainly consume fish but will also eat a range of wetland vertebrates. Their preferred food is marbled lungfish, tilapia and catfish. When this is not available they are known to consume frogs, nile monitors, baby crocodiles, water snakes, turtles, snails, rodents and other small waterfowl.

Mating and breeding

Shoebills form monogamous pair bonds for the breeding season. They fiercely defend their nests from other birds during their nesting period, which begins either during the monsoon season or after this ends.

Both parents build the nest on a floating and flat platform made up of swamp vegetation and around three metres wide and three metres deep.

Typically the female will lay between one to three eggs, with only one being reared and cared for until maturity. The other eggs are back-ups in case the eldest chick is weak or dies.

In the hot weather, shoebill parents will fill their bills with water to shower their nests to cool their eggs.

Chicks take about 105 days to fledge and juveniles typically fly well by 112 days. Juvenile birds will continue to feed with their mother for another month after this and reach sexual maturity at about three years old.

Support Shoebills by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2018. Balaeniceps rex. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697583A133840708. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697583A133840708.en. Accessed on 16 February 2023.

Shoebill on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoebill

Shoebill on Animalia.bio – https://animalia.bio/shoebill

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

I recently watched an excellent film from director Boris Lojkine - Camille (2019) about Camille Lepage, a French photojournalist who was killed while documenting the conflict in the Central African Republic in 2014. She was 26 years old.

She was dedicated to shining a light on the conflict in CAR - sharing the stories not covered by the mainstream media:

“I can't accept that people's tragedies are silenced simply because no one can make money out of them. I decided to do it myself, and bring some light to them no matter what."

#camille #camillelepage #borislojkine #film #filmworld #thecar #centralafrica #centralafricanrepublic #africa #photojournalist #photojournalism #photographer #frenchphotographer #photography #conflictphotography #warjournalist #fotografia #fotografie #colorphotography

I recently watched an excellent film from director Boris Lojkine - Camille (2019) about Camille Lepage, a French photojournalist who was killed while documenting the conflict in the Central African Republic in 2014. She was 26 years old.

She was dedicated to shining a light on the conflict in CAR - sharing the stories not covered by the mainstream media:

“I can't accept that people's tragedies are silenced simply because no one can make money out of them. I decided to do it myself, and bring some light to them no matter what."

#camille #camillelepage #borislojkine #film #filmworld #thecar #centralafrica #centralafricanrepublic #africa #photojournalist #photojournalism #photographer #frenchphotographer #photography #conflictphotography #warjournalist #fotografia #fotografie #colorphotography

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved this #film from #director #BorisLojkine about French #Photographer #CamilleLepage who was killed at 26 in 2014 while filming the conflict in #CentralAfricanRepublic.

#Streaming free this month with #Comcast #Xfinity on #TV5Monde

#Camille (2019) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9678892/

Detection And Monitoring Of Small-Scale Diamond And Gold Mining Dredges Using Synthetic Aperture Radar On The Kadéï (Sangha) River, Central African Republic
--
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15040913 <-- shared paper
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #remotesensing #SyntheticApertureRadar #radar #satellite #SAR #dredges #artisanalmining #smallscalemining #ASM #radardetection #goldmining #illegalmining #mining #Africa #centralafricanrepublic #CAR #KadeiRiver #Sangha #diamonds #gold #monitoring #survey #detection #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #SSM #technology #data #hydrology #rivers #detectionandmonitoring

Central African Republic Sets Up Committee Tasked With Drafting Crypto Bill - The Central African Republic (CAR) president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, recently ... - https://news.bitcoin.com/central-african-republic-sets-up-committee-tasked-with-drafting-crypto-bill/ #centralafricarepublicbitcoin #faustin-archangetouadera #centralafricanrepublic #cryptoframework #blockchain #sangocoins #bitcoin #africa #car

Central African Republic Sets Up Committee Tasked With Drafting Crypto Bill - The Central African Republic (CAR) president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, recently ... - https://news.bitcoin.com/central-african-republic-sets-up-committee-tasked-with-drafting-crypto-bill/ #centralafricarepublicbitcoin #faustin-archangetouadera #centralafricanrepublic #cryptoframework #blockchain #sangocoins #bitcoin #africa #car

Central African Republic Sets Up Committee Tasked With Drafting Crypto Bill - The Central African Republic (CAR) president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, recently ... - https://news.bitcoin.com/central-african-republic-sets-up-committee-tasked-with-drafting-crypto-bill/ #centralafricarepublicbitcoin #faustin-archangetouadera #centralafricanrepublic #cryptoframework #blockchain #sangocoins #bitcoin #africa #car

Central African Republic Sets Up Committee Tasked With Drafting Crypto Bill - The Central African Republic (CAR) president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, recently ... - https://news.bitcoin.com/central-african-republic-sets-up-committee-tasked-with-drafting-crypto-bill/ #centralafricarepublicbitcoin #faustin-archangetouadera #centralafricanrepublic #cryptoframework #blockchain #sangocoins #bitcoin #africa #car

Central African Republic Sets Up Committee Tasked With Drafting Crypto Bill

https://news.bitcoin.com/central-african-republic-sets-up-committee-tasked-with-drafting-crypto-bill/

#CentralAfricaRepublicbitcoin #Faustin-ArchangeTouadera #CentralAfricanRepublic #cryptoframework #Blockchain #Sangocoins #Bitcoin #Africa #car

Central African Republic Sets Up Committee Tasked With Drafting Crypto Bill

https://news.bitcoin.com/central-african-republic-sets-up-committee-tasked-with-drafting-crypto-bill/

#CentralAfricaRepublicbitcoin #Faustin-ArchangeTouadera #CentralAfricanRepublic #cryptoframework #Blockchain #Sangocoins #Bitcoin #Africa #car

Four Positive Events in the Crypto Space This Year - OK, we admit it, not all of our ’12 Days of Cryptomas’ articles have dire... - https://dailycoin.com/four-positive-events-in-the-crypto-space-this-year/ #centralafricanrepublic #12daysofcryptomas #zzzeditorspicks #bitcoin(btc) #terra(luna) #blockchain #marketnews #zz_popular #bearmarket #zzznative #adoption #zz_index #bitcoin #binance #policy #zz_top #ftx

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

Red list status: Least concern (in 2016) but likely becoming endangered now.

Locations: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.

African Palm Civets Nandinia binotata are ecosystem-critical seed dispersers in Africa’s forests. Their spotted coats blend into the dappled forest shadows of #Liberia and #Gabon in #Africa. Although they were once widespread, the African palm civet now faces mounting pressure from palm oil-driven deforestation, mining, and relentless hunting for #bushmeat. Their survival hangs in the balance —fight for their survival every time you shop, be #Vegan for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFpLVDC6IM0

Vital seed dispersers in #African forests, African palm civets are hunted for #bushmeat in #Gabon 🇬🇦 #Liberia 🇱🇷 Say NO to #palmoil #deforestation and hunting. Fight for them! Be #Vegan 🫑🍆 #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🩸🚜☠️🔥❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/11/13/african-palm-civet-nandinia-binotata/

Appearance & Behaviour

The African palm civet is a small, cat-like omnivore, their slender body and long, ringed tail perfectly adapted for life in the treetops. Their fur ranges from grey to dark brown, with distinctive dark spots decorating their back. Males are slightly larger than females, typically weighing between 1 and 3 kilograms and measuring 30 to 70 centimetres in length. Two scent glands beneath their abdomen allow them to mark territory and communicate with potential mates. African palm civets are nocturnal, spending most of their lives high in the canopy, where they forage, rest, and raise their young. They are nocturnal and spend the majority of their lives in the tree canopies of rainforests eating from fruit-bearing trees like banana, papaya, fig and corkwood.

Threats

The main threats to African palm civets are anthropogenic and include:

Large tracts of rainforest where African palm civets live are threatened by commercial logging and large-scale oil palm plantations owned by foreign multinational companies.  

Hunting for bushmeat trade

Around 8,000 palm civets are hunted in the Nigerian and Cameroon part of the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests. Throughout Africa these small animals are treated as hostile by locals and are killed for this reason. They are regularly found in bushmeat markets.

Palm oil deforestation: a major threat

The upper Guinean rainforests in Liberia are a biodiversity rich hotspot and they are rapidly being fragmented and destroyed by palm oil and timber deforestation, along with mining.

Habitat

The African palm civet’s range spans much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west, through Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. They inhabit deciduous forests, lowland rainforests, gallery forests, riverine peatlands, and swamplands. Once widespread, their habitat is now fragmented by deforestation, agriculture, and mining, leaving only scattered pockets of forest where the African palm civet can still be found.

Diet

African palm civets are omnivorous, their diet shifting with the rhythm of the seasons. Fruits such as persimmon, African corkwood, Uapaca, fig, papaya, and banana form the core of their diet. When fruit is scarce, they hunt rodents, lizards, birds, frogs, insects, and even raid farms for small livestock. Their foraging is a quiet, methodical search through the canopy, and they are vital seed dispersers, helping to regenerate the forests they call home.

Mating and breeding

African palm civets are mostly solitary, coming together only to mate. Males range over territories that overlap with those of several females. Breeding occurs year-round, with peaks during the rainy seasons, especially from September to January. After a gestation of about 64 days, females give birth in tree hollows to litters of up to four cubs. The young are weaned after about two months, remaining with their mothers as they learn to forage and navigate the treetops. Sexual maturity is reached at around three years, and the generation length is estimated at seven years. The bond between mother and cub is strong, forged in the safety of the canopy and tested by the dangers of the shrinking forest.

FAQs

Where do African palm civets sleep?

African palm civets are highly arboreal and seek shelter high in the treetops, where they find safety from predators and the elements. They commonly rest or sleep during the day in the forks of large trees, among lianas, or in tangled vines, blending into the foliage with their spotted coats. Occasionally, as forests shrink and human settlements expand, African palm civets adapt by sleeping in less typical places such as gutters, thick undergrowth at farm and village margins, woodpiles, old dead trees, piles of dead leaves, and even in thatched roofs or overgrown shrubbery in rubbish dumps. Their choice of sleeping site is always guided by the need for concealment and protection, reflecting their nocturnal and secretive nature.

Can African palm civets climb trees?

African palm civets are exceptional climbers, spending most of their lives in the forest canopy. Their bodies are built for agility among the branches: they have powerful limbs, long tails for balance, and sharp, retractile claws that allow them to grip bark and vines securely. African palm civets move swiftly and silently through the treetops, foraging, resting, and raising their young high above the ground, rarely descending except to cross open areas in search of food or new shelter. Their arboreal lifestyle is so pronounced that they are sometimes described as “tree cats,” and their climbing abilities are vital for evading predators and accessing fruit-laden branches.

Are palm civets carnivorous?

African palm civets are omnivores, with a diet that is more varied than simply carnivorous. While they do eat small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, and occasionally carrion or even raid farms for small livestock, fruit forms the largest part of their diet. They consume a wide range of fruits, including those from umbrella trees, sugar plums, corkwood, wild figs, and even the fleshy pulp from oil palms. African palm civets are opportunistic feeders, adapting their diet to what is available seasonally and in their environment, but they are not strictly carnivorous and play a significant role as seed dispersers in their forest habitats.

How big are African palm civets?

African palm civets are small to medium-sized mammals, with males generally larger than females. Adult males typically measure between 39.8 and 62.5 centimetres in body length, with tails adding another 43 to 76.2 centimetres, and can weigh from 1.3 to 3 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller, with body lengths of 37 to 61 centimetres and tails of 34 to 70 centimetres, weighing between 1.2 and 2.7 kilograms. Their long, muscular tails and compact bodies make them agile climbers, and their size allows them to navigate the dense forest canopy with ease.

Take Action!

The #Boycott4Wildlife offers a way for consumers to fight back against palm oil deforestation and other forms of animal cruelty and slavery. Please help us and raise your voice for African Palm Civets, join the #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

You can support this beautiful animal

There are no known formal conservation activities in place for this animal. Make sure that you #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket and raise awareness of the plight of beautiful African palm civets in order to support their survival! Find out more here

Further Information

The IUCN has declared that this animal was of ‘Least Concern’ in 2016. However, their habitat is rapidly declining and they deserve more intensive protection and regular assessment.

Gaubert, P., Bahaa-el-din, L., Ray, J. & Do Linh San, E. 2015. Nandinia binotata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T41589A45204645. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41589A45204645.en. Accessed on 07 September 2022.

Kotelnicki, S. (2012). Nandinia binotata. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Nandinia_binotata/

Wikipedia. (n.d.). African palm civet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Palm_Civet

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#africa #african #africanPalmCivetNandiniaBinotata #animals #benin #boycott4wildlife #boycottpalmoil #burundi #bushmeat #cameroon #centralAfricanRepublic #congo #cotedivoire #deforestation #equatorialGuinea #forgottenAnimals #gabon #ghana #hunting #kenya #liberia #malawi #mammal #mining #nigeria #omnivore #omnivores #palmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poaching #rwanda #seedDispersers #seeddispersal #sierraLeone #tanzania #togo #uganda #vegan #viverrid #vulnerableSpecies

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

Red list status: Least concern (in 2016) but likely becoming endangered now.

Locations: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.

African Palm Civets Nandinia binotata are ecosystem-critical seed dispersers in Africa’s forests. Their spotted coats blend into the dappled forest shadows of #Liberia and #Gabon in #Africa. Although they were once widespread, the African palm civet now faces mounting pressure from palm oil-driven deforestation, mining, and relentless hunting for #bushmeat. Their survival hangs in the balance —fight for their survival every time you shop, be #Vegan for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFpLVDC6IM0

Vital seed dispersers in #African forests, African palm civets are hunted for #bushmeat in #Gabon 🇬🇦 #Liberia 🇱🇷 Say NO to #palmoil #deforestation and hunting. Fight for them! Be #Vegan 🫑🍆 #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🩸🚜☠️🔥❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/11/13/african-palm-civet-nandinia-binotata/

Appearance & Behaviour

The African palm civet is a small, cat-like omnivore, their slender body and long, ringed tail perfectly adapted for life in the treetops. Their fur ranges from grey to dark brown, with distinctive dark spots decorating their back. Males are slightly larger than females, typically weighing between 1 and 3 kilograms and measuring 30 to 70 centimetres in length. Two scent glands beneath their abdomen allow them to mark territory and communicate with potential mates. African palm civets are nocturnal, spending most of their lives high in the canopy, where they forage, rest, and raise their young. They are nocturnal and spend the majority of their lives in the tree canopies of rainforests eating from fruit-bearing trees like banana, papaya, fig and corkwood.

Threats

The main threats to African palm civets are anthropogenic and include:

Large tracts of rainforest where African palm civets live are threatened by commercial logging and large-scale oil palm plantations owned by foreign multinational companies.  

Hunting for bushmeat trade

Around 8,000 palm civets are hunted in the Nigerian and Cameroon part of the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests. Throughout Africa these small animals are treated as hostile by locals and are killed for this reason. They are regularly found in bushmeat markets.

Palm oil deforestation: a major threat

The upper Guinean rainforests in Liberia are a biodiversity rich hotspot and they are rapidly being fragmented and destroyed by palm oil and timber deforestation, along with mining.

Habitat

The African palm civet’s range spans much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west, through Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. They inhabit deciduous forests, lowland rainforests, gallery forests, riverine peatlands, and swamplands. Once widespread, their habitat is now fragmented by deforestation, agriculture, and mining, leaving only scattered pockets of forest where the African palm civet can still be found.

Diet

African palm civets are omnivorous, their diet shifting with the rhythm of the seasons. Fruits such as persimmon, African corkwood, Uapaca, fig, papaya, and banana form the core of their diet. When fruit is scarce, they hunt rodents, lizards, birds, frogs, insects, and even raid farms for small livestock. Their foraging is a quiet, methodical search through the canopy, and they are vital seed dispersers, helping to regenerate the forests they call home.

Mating and breeding

African palm civets are mostly solitary, coming together only to mate. Males range over territories that overlap with those of several females. Breeding occurs year-round, with peaks during the rainy seasons, especially from September to January. After a gestation of about 64 days, females give birth in tree hollows to litters of up to four cubs. The young are weaned after about two months, remaining with their mothers as they learn to forage and navigate the treetops. Sexual maturity is reached at around three years, and the generation length is estimated at seven years. The bond between mother and cub is strong, forged in the safety of the canopy and tested by the dangers of the shrinking forest.

FAQs

Where do African palm civets sleep?

African palm civets are highly arboreal and seek shelter high in the treetops, where they find safety from predators and the elements. They commonly rest or sleep during the day in the forks of large trees, among lianas, or in tangled vines, blending into the foliage with their spotted coats. Occasionally, as forests shrink and human settlements expand, African palm civets adapt by sleeping in less typical places such as gutters, thick undergrowth at farm and village margins, woodpiles, old dead trees, piles of dead leaves, and even in thatched roofs or overgrown shrubbery in rubbish dumps. Their choice of sleeping site is always guided by the need for concealment and protection, reflecting their nocturnal and secretive nature.

Can African palm civets climb trees?

African palm civets are exceptional climbers, spending most of their lives in the forest canopy. Their bodies are built for agility among the branches: they have powerful limbs, long tails for balance, and sharp, retractile claws that allow them to grip bark and vines securely. African palm civets move swiftly and silently through the treetops, foraging, resting, and raising their young high above the ground, rarely descending except to cross open areas in search of food or new shelter. Their arboreal lifestyle is so pronounced that they are sometimes described as “tree cats,” and their climbing abilities are vital for evading predators and accessing fruit-laden branches.

Are palm civets carnivorous?

African palm civets are omnivores, with a diet that is more varied than simply carnivorous. While they do eat small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, and occasionally carrion or even raid farms for small livestock, fruit forms the largest part of their diet. They consume a wide range of fruits, including those from umbrella trees, sugar plums, corkwood, wild figs, and even the fleshy pulp from oil palms. African palm civets are opportunistic feeders, adapting their diet to what is available seasonally and in their environment, but they are not strictly carnivorous and play a significant role as seed dispersers in their forest habitats.

How big are African palm civets?

African palm civets are small to medium-sized mammals, with males generally larger than females. Adult males typically measure between 39.8 and 62.5 centimetres in body length, with tails adding another 43 to 76.2 centimetres, and can weigh from 1.3 to 3 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller, with body lengths of 37 to 61 centimetres and tails of 34 to 70 centimetres, weighing between 1.2 and 2.7 kilograms. Their long, muscular tails and compact bodies make them agile climbers, and their size allows them to navigate the dense forest canopy with ease.

Take Action!

The #Boycott4Wildlife offers a way for consumers to fight back against palm oil deforestation and other forms of animal cruelty and slavery. Please help us and raise your voice for African Palm Civets, join the #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

You can support this beautiful animal

There are no known formal conservation activities in place for this animal. Make sure that you #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket and raise awareness of the plight of beautiful African palm civets in order to support their survival! Find out more here

Further Information

The IUCN has declared that this animal was of ‘Least Concern’ in 2016. However, their habitat is rapidly declining and they deserve more intensive protection and regular assessment.

Gaubert, P., Bahaa-el-din, L., Ray, J. & Do Linh San, E. 2015. Nandinia binotata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T41589A45204645. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41589A45204645.en. Accessed on 07 September 2022.

Kotelnicki, S. (2012). Nandinia binotata. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Nandinia_binotata/

Wikipedia. (n.d.). African palm civet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Palm_Civet

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#africa #african #africanPalmCivetNandiniaBinotata #animals #benin #boycott4wildlife #boycottpalmoil #burundi #bushmeat #cameroon #centralAfricanRepublic #congo #cotedivoire #deforestation #equatorialGuinea #forgottenAnimals #gabon #ghana #hunting #kenya #liberia #malawi #mammal #mining #nigeria #omnivore #omnivores #palmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poaching #rwanda #seedDispersers #seeddispersal #sierraLeone #tanzania #togo #uganda #vegan #viverrid #vulnerableSpecies

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

Red list status: Least concern (in 2016) but likely becoming endangered now.

Locations: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.

African Palm Civets Nandinia binotata are ecosystem-critical seed dispersers in Africa’s forests. Their spotted coats blend into the dappled forest shadows of #Liberia and #Gabon in #Africa. Although they were once widespread, the African palm civet now faces mounting pressure from palm oil-driven deforestation, mining, and relentless hunting for #bushmeat. Their survival hangs in the balance —fight for their survival every time you shop, be #Vegan for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFpLVDC6IM0

Vital seed dispersers in #African forests, African palm civets are hunted for #bushmeat in #Gabon 🇬🇦 #Liberia 🇱🇷 Say NO to #palmoil #deforestation and hunting. Fight for them! Be #Vegan 🫑🍆 #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🩸🚜☠️🔥❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/11/13/african-palm-civet-nandinia-binotata/

Appearance & Behaviour

The African palm civet is a small, cat-like omnivore, their slender body and long, ringed tail perfectly adapted for life in the treetops. Their fur ranges from grey to dark brown, with distinctive dark spots decorating their back. Males are slightly larger than females, typically weighing between 1 and 3 kilograms and measuring 30 to 70 centimetres in length. Two scent glands beneath their abdomen allow them to mark territory and communicate with potential mates. African palm civets are nocturnal, spending most of their lives high in the canopy, where they forage, rest, and raise their young. They are nocturnal and spend the majority of their lives in the tree canopies of rainforests eating from fruit-bearing trees like banana, papaya, fig and corkwood.

Threats

The main threats to African palm civets are anthropogenic and include:

Large tracts of rainforest where African palm civets live are threatened by commercial logging and large-scale oil palm plantations owned by foreign multinational companies.  

Hunting for bushmeat trade

Around 8,000 palm civets are hunted in the Nigerian and Cameroon part of the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests. Throughout Africa these small animals are treated as hostile by locals and are killed for this reason. They are regularly found in bushmeat markets.

Palm oil deforestation: a major threat

The upper Guinean rainforests in Liberia are a biodiversity rich hotspot and they are rapidly being fragmented and destroyed by palm oil and timber deforestation, along with mining.

Habitat

The African palm civet’s range spans much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west, through Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. They inhabit deciduous forests, lowland rainforests, gallery forests, riverine peatlands, and swamplands. Once widespread, their habitat is now fragmented by deforestation, agriculture, and mining, leaving only scattered pockets of forest where the African palm civet can still be found.

Diet

African palm civets are omnivorous, their diet shifting with the rhythm of the seasons. Fruits such as persimmon, African corkwood, Uapaca, fig, papaya, and banana form the core of their diet. When fruit is scarce, they hunt rodents, lizards, birds, frogs, insects, and even raid farms for small livestock. Their foraging is a quiet, methodical search through the canopy, and they are vital seed dispersers, helping to regenerate the forests they call home.

Mating and breeding

African palm civets are mostly solitary, coming together only to mate. Males range over territories that overlap with those of several females. Breeding occurs year-round, with peaks during the rainy seasons, especially from September to January. After a gestation of about 64 days, females give birth in tree hollows to litters of up to four cubs. The young are weaned after about two months, remaining with their mothers as they learn to forage and navigate the treetops. Sexual maturity is reached at around three years, and the generation length is estimated at seven years. The bond between mother and cub is strong, forged in the safety of the canopy and tested by the dangers of the shrinking forest.

FAQs

Where do African palm civets sleep?

African palm civets are highly arboreal and seek shelter high in the treetops, where they find safety from predators and the elements. They commonly rest or sleep during the day in the forks of large trees, among lianas, or in tangled vines, blending into the foliage with their spotted coats. Occasionally, as forests shrink and human settlements expand, African palm civets adapt by sleeping in less typical places such as gutters, thick undergrowth at farm and village margins, woodpiles, old dead trees, piles of dead leaves, and even in thatched roofs or overgrown shrubbery in rubbish dumps. Their choice of sleeping site is always guided by the need for concealment and protection, reflecting their nocturnal and secretive nature.

Can African palm civets climb trees?

African palm civets are exceptional climbers, spending most of their lives in the forest canopy. Their bodies are built for agility among the branches: they have powerful limbs, long tails for balance, and sharp, retractile claws that allow them to grip bark and vines securely. African palm civets move swiftly and silently through the treetops, foraging, resting, and raising their young high above the ground, rarely descending except to cross open areas in search of food or new shelter. Their arboreal lifestyle is so pronounced that they are sometimes described as “tree cats,” and their climbing abilities are vital for evading predators and accessing fruit-laden branches.

Are palm civets carnivorous?

African palm civets are omnivores, with a diet that is more varied than simply carnivorous. While they do eat small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, and occasionally carrion or even raid farms for small livestock, fruit forms the largest part of their diet. They consume a wide range of fruits, including those from umbrella trees, sugar plums, corkwood, wild figs, and even the fleshy pulp from oil palms. African palm civets are opportunistic feeders, adapting their diet to what is available seasonally and in their environment, but they are not strictly carnivorous and play a significant role as seed dispersers in their forest habitats.

How big are African palm civets?

African palm civets are small to medium-sized mammals, with males generally larger than females. Adult males typically measure between 39.8 and 62.5 centimetres in body length, with tails adding another 43 to 76.2 centimetres, and can weigh from 1.3 to 3 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller, with body lengths of 37 to 61 centimetres and tails of 34 to 70 centimetres, weighing between 1.2 and 2.7 kilograms. Their long, muscular tails and compact bodies make them agile climbers, and their size allows them to navigate the dense forest canopy with ease.

Take Action!

The #Boycott4Wildlife offers a way for consumers to fight back against palm oil deforestation and other forms of animal cruelty and slavery. Please help us and raise your voice for African Palm Civets, join the #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

You can support this beautiful animal

There are no known formal conservation activities in place for this animal. Make sure that you #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket and raise awareness of the plight of beautiful African palm civets in order to support their survival! Find out more here

Further Information

The IUCN has declared that this animal was of ‘Least Concern’ in 2016. However, their habitat is rapidly declining and they deserve more intensive protection and regular assessment.

Gaubert, P., Bahaa-el-din, L., Ray, J. & Do Linh San, E. 2015. Nandinia binotata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T41589A45204645. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41589A45204645.en. Accessed on 07 September 2022.

Kotelnicki, S. (2012). Nandinia binotata. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Nandinia_binotata/

Wikipedia. (n.d.). African palm civet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Palm_Civet

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#africa #african #africanPalmCivetNandiniaBinotata #animals #benin #boycott4wildlife #boycottpalmoil #burundi #bushmeat #cameroon #centralAfricanRepublic #congo #cotedivoire #deforestation #equatorialGuinea #forgottenAnimals #gabon #ghana #hunting #kenya #liberia #malawi #mammal #mining #nigeria #omnivore #omnivores #palmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poaching #rwanda #seedDispersers #seeddispersal #sierraLeone #tanzania #togo #uganda #vegan #viverrid #vulnerableSpecies

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

Red list status: Least concern (in 2016) but likely becoming endangered now.

Locations: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.

African Palm Civets Nandinia binotata are ecosystem-critical seed dispersers in Africa’s forests. Their spotted coats blend into the dappled forest shadows of #Liberia and #Gabon in #Africa. Although they were once widespread, the African palm civet now faces mounting pressure from palm oil-driven deforestation, mining, and relentless hunting for #bushmeat. Their survival hangs in the balance —fight for their survival every time you shop, be #Vegan for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFpLVDC6IM0

Vital seed dispersers in #African forests, African palm civets are hunted for #bushmeat in #Gabon 🇬🇦 #Liberia 🇱🇷 Say NO to #palmoil #deforestation and hunting. Fight for them! Be #Vegan 🫑🍆 #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🩸🚜☠️🔥❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/11/13/african-palm-civet-nandinia-binotata/

Appearance & Behaviour

The African palm civet is a small, cat-like omnivore, their slender body and long, ringed tail perfectly adapted for life in the treetops. Their fur ranges from grey to dark brown, with distinctive dark spots decorating their back. Males are slightly larger than females, typically weighing between 1 and 3 kilograms and measuring 30 to 70 centimetres in length. Two scent glands beneath their abdomen allow them to mark territory and communicate with potential mates. African palm civets are nocturnal, spending most of their lives high in the canopy, where they forage, rest, and raise their young. They are nocturnal and spend the majority of their lives in the tree canopies of rainforests eating from fruit-bearing trees like banana, papaya, fig and corkwood.

Threats

The main threats to African palm civets are anthropogenic and include:

Large tracts of rainforest where African palm civets live are threatened by commercial logging and large-scale oil palm plantations owned by foreign multinational companies.  

Hunting for bushmeat trade

Around 8,000 palm civets are hunted in the Nigerian and Cameroon part of the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests. Throughout Africa these small animals are treated as hostile by locals and are killed for this reason. They are regularly found in bushmeat markets.

Palm oil deforestation: a major threat

The upper Guinean rainforests in Liberia are a biodiversity rich hotspot and they are rapidly being fragmented and destroyed by palm oil and timber deforestation, along with mining.

Habitat

The African palm civet’s range spans much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west, through Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. They inhabit deciduous forests, lowland rainforests, gallery forests, riverine peatlands, and swamplands. Once widespread, their habitat is now fragmented by deforestation, agriculture, and mining, leaving only scattered pockets of forest where the African palm civet can still be found.

Diet

African palm civets are omnivorous, their diet shifting with the rhythm of the seasons. Fruits such as persimmon, African corkwood, Uapaca, fig, papaya, and banana form the core of their diet. When fruit is scarce, they hunt rodents, lizards, birds, frogs, insects, and even raid farms for small livestock. Their foraging is a quiet, methodical search through the canopy, and they are vital seed dispersers, helping to regenerate the forests they call home.

Mating and breeding

African palm civets are mostly solitary, coming together only to mate. Males range over territories that overlap with those of several females. Breeding occurs year-round, with peaks during the rainy seasons, especially from September to January. After a gestation of about 64 days, females give birth in tree hollows to litters of up to four cubs. The young are weaned after about two months, remaining with their mothers as they learn to forage and navigate the treetops. Sexual maturity is reached at around three years, and the generation length is estimated at seven years. The bond between mother and cub is strong, forged in the safety of the canopy and tested by the dangers of the shrinking forest.

FAQs

Where do African palm civets sleep?

African palm civets are highly arboreal and seek shelter high in the treetops, where they find safety from predators and the elements. They commonly rest or sleep during the day in the forks of large trees, among lianas, or in tangled vines, blending into the foliage with their spotted coats. Occasionally, as forests shrink and human settlements expand, African palm civets adapt by sleeping in less typical places such as gutters, thick undergrowth at farm and village margins, woodpiles, old dead trees, piles of dead leaves, and even in thatched roofs or overgrown shrubbery in rubbish dumps. Their choice of sleeping site is always guided by the need for concealment and protection, reflecting their nocturnal and secretive nature.

Can African palm civets climb trees?

African palm civets are exceptional climbers, spending most of their lives in the forest canopy. Their bodies are built for agility among the branches: they have powerful limbs, long tails for balance, and sharp, retractile claws that allow them to grip bark and vines securely. African palm civets move swiftly and silently through the treetops, foraging, resting, and raising their young high above the ground, rarely descending except to cross open areas in search of food or new shelter. Their arboreal lifestyle is so pronounced that they are sometimes described as “tree cats,” and their climbing abilities are vital for evading predators and accessing fruit-laden branches.

Are palm civets carnivorous?

African palm civets are omnivores, with a diet that is more varied than simply carnivorous. While they do eat small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, and occasionally carrion or even raid farms for small livestock, fruit forms the largest part of their diet. They consume a wide range of fruits, including those from umbrella trees, sugar plums, corkwood, wild figs, and even the fleshy pulp from oil palms. African palm civets are opportunistic feeders, adapting their diet to what is available seasonally and in their environment, but they are not strictly carnivorous and play a significant role as seed dispersers in their forest habitats.

How big are African palm civets?

African palm civets are small to medium-sized mammals, with males generally larger than females. Adult males typically measure between 39.8 and 62.5 centimetres in body length, with tails adding another 43 to 76.2 centimetres, and can weigh from 1.3 to 3 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller, with body lengths of 37 to 61 centimetres and tails of 34 to 70 centimetres, weighing between 1.2 and 2.7 kilograms. Their long, muscular tails and compact bodies make them agile climbers, and their size allows them to navigate the dense forest canopy with ease.

Take Action!

The #Boycott4Wildlife offers a way for consumers to fight back against palm oil deforestation and other forms of animal cruelty and slavery. Please help us and raise your voice for African Palm Civets, join the #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

You can support this beautiful animal

There are no known formal conservation activities in place for this animal. Make sure that you #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket and raise awareness of the plight of beautiful African palm civets in order to support their survival! Find out more here

Further Information

The IUCN has declared that this animal was of ‘Least Concern’ in 2016. However, their habitat is rapidly declining and they deserve more intensive protection and regular assessment.

Gaubert, P., Bahaa-el-din, L., Ray, J. & Do Linh San, E. 2015. Nandinia binotata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T41589A45204645. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41589A45204645.en. Accessed on 07 September 2022.

Kotelnicki, S. (2012). Nandinia binotata. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Nandinia_binotata/

Wikipedia. (n.d.). African palm civet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Palm_Civet

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#africa #african #africanPalmCivetNandiniaBinotata #animals #benin #boycott4wildlife #boycottpalmoil #burundi #bushmeat #cameroon #centralAfricanRepublic #congo #cotedivoire #deforestation #equatorialGuinea #forgottenAnimals #gabon #ghana #hunting #kenya #liberia #malawi #mammal #mining #nigeria #omnivore #omnivores #palmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poaching #rwanda #seedDispersers #seeddispersal #sierraLeone #tanzania #togo #uganda #vegan #viverrid #vulnerableSpecies

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata

Red list status: Least concern (in 2016) but likely becoming endangered now.

Locations: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.

African Palm Civets Nandinia binotata are ecosystem-critical seed dispersers in Africa’s forests. Their spotted coats blend into the dappled forest shadows of #Liberia and #Gabon in #Africa. Although they were once widespread, the African palm civet now faces mounting pressure from palm oil-driven deforestation, mining, and relentless hunting for #bushmeat. Their survival hangs in the balance —fight for their survival every time you shop, be #Vegan for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFpLVDC6IM0

Vital seed dispersers in #African forests, African palm civets are hunted for #bushmeat in #Gabon 🇬🇦 #Liberia 🇱🇷 Say NO to #palmoil #deforestation and hunting. Fight for them! Be #Vegan 🫑🍆 #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🩸🚜☠️🔥❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/11/13/african-palm-civet-nandinia-binotata/

Appearance & Behaviour

The African palm civet is a small, cat-like omnivore, their slender body and long, ringed tail perfectly adapted for life in the treetops. Their fur ranges from grey to dark brown, with distinctive dark spots decorating their back. Males are slightly larger than females, typically weighing between 1 and 3 kilograms and measuring 30 to 70 centimetres in length. Two scent glands beneath their abdomen allow them to mark territory and communicate with potential mates. African palm civets are nocturnal, spending most of their lives high in the canopy, where they forage, rest, and raise their young. They are nocturnal and spend the majority of their lives in the tree canopies of rainforests eating from fruit-bearing trees like banana, papaya, fig and corkwood.

Threats

The main threats to African palm civets are anthropogenic and include:

Large tracts of rainforest where African palm civets live are threatened by commercial logging and large-scale oil palm plantations owned by foreign multinational companies.  

Hunting for bushmeat trade

Around 8,000 palm civets are hunted in the Nigerian and Cameroon part of the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests. Throughout Africa these small animals are treated as hostile by locals and are killed for this reason. They are regularly found in bushmeat markets.

Palm oil deforestation: a major threat

The upper Guinean rainforests in Liberia are a biodiversity rich hotspot and they are rapidly being fragmented and destroyed by palm oil and timber deforestation, along with mining.

Habitat

The African palm civet’s range spans much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west, through Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. They inhabit deciduous forests, lowland rainforests, gallery forests, riverine peatlands, and swamplands. Once widespread, their habitat is now fragmented by deforestation, agriculture, and mining, leaving only scattered pockets of forest where the African palm civet can still be found.

Diet

African palm civets are omnivorous, their diet shifting with the rhythm of the seasons. Fruits such as persimmon, African corkwood, Uapaca, fig, papaya, and banana form the core of their diet. When fruit is scarce, they hunt rodents, lizards, birds, frogs, insects, and even raid farms for small livestock. Their foraging is a quiet, methodical search through the canopy, and they are vital seed dispersers, helping to regenerate the forests they call home.

Mating and breeding

African palm civets are mostly solitary, coming together only to mate. Males range over territories that overlap with those of several females. Breeding occurs year-round, with peaks during the rainy seasons, especially from September to January. After a gestation of about 64 days, females give birth in tree hollows to litters of up to four cubs. The young are weaned after about two months, remaining with their mothers as they learn to forage and navigate the treetops. Sexual maturity is reached at around three years, and the generation length is estimated at seven years. The bond between mother and cub is strong, forged in the safety of the canopy and tested by the dangers of the shrinking forest.

FAQs

Where do African palm civets sleep?

African palm civets are highly arboreal and seek shelter high in the treetops, where they find safety from predators and the elements. They commonly rest or sleep during the day in the forks of large trees, among lianas, or in tangled vines, blending into the foliage with their spotted coats. Occasionally, as forests shrink and human settlements expand, African palm civets adapt by sleeping in less typical places such as gutters, thick undergrowth at farm and village margins, woodpiles, old dead trees, piles of dead leaves, and even in thatched roofs or overgrown shrubbery in rubbish dumps. Their choice of sleeping site is always guided by the need for concealment and protection, reflecting their nocturnal and secretive nature.

Can African palm civets climb trees?

African palm civets are exceptional climbers, spending most of their lives in the forest canopy. Their bodies are built for agility among the branches: they have powerful limbs, long tails for balance, and sharp, retractile claws that allow them to grip bark and vines securely. African palm civets move swiftly and silently through the treetops, foraging, resting, and raising their young high above the ground, rarely descending except to cross open areas in search of food or new shelter. Their arboreal lifestyle is so pronounced that they are sometimes described as “tree cats,” and their climbing abilities are vital for evading predators and accessing fruit-laden branches.

Are palm civets carnivorous?

African palm civets are omnivores, with a diet that is more varied than simply carnivorous. While they do eat small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, and occasionally carrion or even raid farms for small livestock, fruit forms the largest part of their diet. They consume a wide range of fruits, including those from umbrella trees, sugar plums, corkwood, wild figs, and even the fleshy pulp from oil palms. African palm civets are opportunistic feeders, adapting their diet to what is available seasonally and in their environment, but they are not strictly carnivorous and play a significant role as seed dispersers in their forest habitats.

How big are African palm civets?

African palm civets are small to medium-sized mammals, with males generally larger than females. Adult males typically measure between 39.8 and 62.5 centimetres in body length, with tails adding another 43 to 76.2 centimetres, and can weigh from 1.3 to 3 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller, with body lengths of 37 to 61 centimetres and tails of 34 to 70 centimetres, weighing between 1.2 and 2.7 kilograms. Their long, muscular tails and compact bodies make them agile climbers, and their size allows them to navigate the dense forest canopy with ease.

Take Action!

The #Boycott4Wildlife offers a way for consumers to fight back against palm oil deforestation and other forms of animal cruelty and slavery. Please help us and raise your voice for African Palm Civets, join the #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

You can support this beautiful animal

There are no known formal conservation activities in place for this animal. Make sure that you #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket and raise awareness of the plight of beautiful African palm civets in order to support their survival! Find out more here

Further Information

The IUCN has declared that this animal was of ‘Least Concern’ in 2016. However, their habitat is rapidly declining and they deserve more intensive protection and regular assessment.

Gaubert, P., Bahaa-el-din, L., Ray, J. & Do Linh San, E. 2015. Nandinia binotata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T41589A45204645. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41589A45204645.en. Accessed on 07 September 2022.

Kotelnicki, S. (2012). Nandinia binotata. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Nandinia_binotata/

Wikipedia. (n.d.). African palm civet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Palm_Civet

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#africa #african #africanPalmCivetNandiniaBinotata #animals #benin #boycott4wildlife #boycottpalmoil #burundi #bushmeat #cameroon #centralAfricanRepublic #congo #cotedivoire #deforestation #equatorialGuinea #forgottenAnimals #gabon #ghana #hunting #kenya #liberia #malawi #mammal #mining #nigeria #omnivore #omnivores #palmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poaching #rwanda #seedDispersers #seeddispersal #sierraLeone #tanzania #togo #uganda #vegan #viverrid #vulnerableSpecies

Very interesting webinar this Wednesday (12:00 CET) on the 'Fight against impunity in the Central African Republic’. It will discuss, among other things, the first verdict issued by the Special Criminal Court.
Details & registration: https://tinyurl.com/4hhs5pnj
#internationalLaw #InternationalCriminaLaw #InternationalCrimes #CentralAfricanRepublic #AlternativeText

African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

Location: Central and West Africa – Guineo-Congolian tropical forests, including Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and surrounding regions.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered

The African Forest #Elephant is a Critically Endangered species found in the dense #rainforests of Central and #WestAfrica. They are smaller than their savanna relatives, with straighter tusks and rounder ears, uniquely adapted to their forested habitat. As ecosystem engineers, these elephants play a crucial role in maintaining Afrotropical forests by dispersing seeds and mitigating against climate change by shaping forest composition. However, relentless #poaching for ivory, habitat destruction due to #palmoil, #cocoa and #tobacco agriculture, and human-elephant conflict have decimated their population. Recent studies have shown that African Forest Elephants’ movement patterns vary significantly between individuals, with some elephants exploring vast distances while others remain in small home ranges. This variation poses unique challenges for conservation efforts. Resist and fight for their survival each time you shop, be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

https://youtu.be/cldLHm2-pnQ

African Forest #Elephants are ecosystem engineers fighting #ClimateChange in #WestAfrica. Yet #poaching and #palmoil #deforestation have rendered them critically endangered 😿🐘 Help them and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/09/11/african-forest-elephant-loxodonta-cyclotis/

Supremely intelligent and sensitive African Forest #Elephants 🐘🩶 face several grave threats, incl. #PalmOil #Deforestation and #poaching in #Gabon 🇬🇦 #Congo 🇨🇩 #WestAfrica. Fight for them when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🔥🧐⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/09/11/african-forest-elephant-loxodonta-cyclotis/

Rapid land use change, including palm oil plantations across their range is driving the direct loss and fragmentation of habitat, is an increasing threat to African elephants across their range.

IUCN red list

Appearance and Behaviour

African Forest Elephants are smaller than their savanna counterparts, with a shoulder height of 2 to 3 metres. They have a more compact build, rounded ears, and long, narrow tusks that point downward, (Gobush et al., 2021). Their grey skin is often darker due to the humid rainforest environment. They live in small, matriarchal family groups and display remarkable individual variation in movement behaviours. Some elephants, known as “explorers,” travel vast distances, while others, the “idlers,” remain within confined home ranges. These behavioural differences complicate conservation efforts, as strategies must account for their diverse space-use needs.

These elephants are highly intelligent and social, living in small, matriarchal family groups that navigate the rainforest together. Their deep infrasonic rumbles travel through the ground, allowing communication over vast distances, even in the thickest jungle. Recent research has revealed that their vocalisations have a structure akin to human syntax—complex combinations of calls used to convey intricate meanings (Hedwig & Kohlberg, 2024).

Other research has found that the foraging, seed dispersal and exploration of African Forest Elephants helps to mitigate African forests against climate change. A 2019 study from the Ndoki Forest in the Republic of Congo (ROC) and LuiKotale in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) estimated that if elephants were removed from these sites, the loss of their forest-shaping food preferences would reduce the forest’s carbon capture by 7%.

Diet

Forest Elephants are frugivorous and play an irreplaceable role as seed dispersers, particularly for large fruiting trees. They are responsible for spreading the seeds of over 41 timber species, including Bobgunnia fistuloides (pao rosa), a tree prized for its high-value wood (Blake et al., 2009; Campos-Arceiz & Blake, 2011). Without these elephants, the rainforest’s ability to regenerate and store carbon would be drastically diminished.

Reproduction and Mating

With a gestation period of 22 months—the longest of any land mammal—female African Forest elephants give birth only once every four to six years (Gobush et al., 2021). Due to their slow reproductive rate, population recovery is incredibly difficult, making conservation efforts even more urgent. Calves remain under their mother’s care for over a decade, learning crucial survival skills in the rainforest.

Geographic Range

African Forest Elephants roam vast home ranges, some spanning over 2,000 km² (Beirne et al., 2021). Their movements are largely dictated by fruiting cycles, water availability, and human encroachment. A recent study found that they exhibit remarkable individual variation in movement patterns—some acting as ‘explorers,’ roaming far and wide, while others remain within familiar territories (Beirne et al., 2021). Roads and logging concessions disrupt these traditional routes, forcing elephants into human settlements and escalating conflict.

Threats

• Illegal Wildlife Trade and Poaching: The illegal and criminal trade in elephant ivory continues to drive rampant poaching. Despite international bans, demand remains high in black markets (Wittemyer et al., 2014; Maisels et al., 2013).
• Palm Oil Agriculture Expansion: Forests are being obliterated for palm oil, cocoa, tobacco and rubber plantations, erasing habitat at an alarming rate (Scalbert et al., 2022).
• Logging, Mining, and Infrastructure Expansion: The development of roads and infrastructure for timber and mining grants poachers greater access to once-inaccessible forest areas (Beirne et al., 2021).
• Human-Elephant Conflict: Shrinking forests push elephants into farmland, leading to fatal clashes with farmers trying to protect their crops (Ngama et al., 2016).
• Climate Change: Disruptions in rainfall patterns and fruiting cycles impact the food supply of African Forest Elephants, forcing them into riskier migration routes where they can come into contact with poachers or conflict with farmers.
• Slow Reproduction Rate: African Forest Elephants have a long gestation periods and high calf mortality, their populations cannot recover quickly from losses.

Elephants and Language: Call Combinations and Syntax

Groundbreaking research has revealed that African Forest Elephants use complex call combinations, akin to human syntax, to communicate in high-stakes situations (Hedwig & Kohlberg, 2024). Their vocal repertoire includes:

• Low-frequency rumbles: Used to coordinate movements and social interactions. These deep sounds can travel several kilometres through dense rainforest.
• Broadband roars: Express distress, urgency, or aggression, particularly in response to predators or conflict.
• Combined calls: When rumbles and roars are merged, they create new meanings. These combinations are more frequently used in competitive situations, suggesting that elephants alter their vocal signals to convey specific messages in dangerous or high-emotion contexts.

The ability to combine calls strategically may help elephants navigate social disputes, secure access to resources, or reunite with separated family members. This discovery sheds light on the cognitive abilities of these animals and their sophisticated social lives.

Large herbivores such as elephants contribute to tree diversity

A recent study using satellite data has highlighted the critical role that large herbivores play in promoting tree diversity in forest ecosystems. The…

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Echoes of the Ancients: The Wisdom and Power of Elephants

World Elephant Day, celebrated on August 12th, honours the gentle and nurturing giants of Asia and Africa, who are revered for their deep…

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African Forest Elephants Help Fight Climate Change

Discover the awe-inspiring role of African forest elephants in the Congo Basin—nature’s master gardeners who literally shape the world around them! These gentle…

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African Forest Elephants and Timber Concessions

Timber and palm oil concessions now cover vast portions of forest elephant habitat, with little understanding of how these logging operations impact elephant populations (Scalbert et al., 2022). While elephants can persist in selectively logged forests, they require large, undisturbed areas to sustain viable populations. Key findings include:

• African Forest Elephants regenerate forests: By dispersing seeds of high-carbon tree species, they facilitate the regrowth of timber species, making their role essential for maintaining the economic value of these forests.
• Logging alters movement patterns: While some elephants adapt to fragmented landscapes, others are displaced, forced into human-dominated areas where they are at greater risk of poaching and conflict.
• Forest loss drives ecological collapse: Without elephants maintaining seed dispersal, many commercially valuable trees may struggle to regenerate, ultimately degrading the timber industry’s long-term viability.

You can support this beautiful animal

Sheldrick Wildlife

Virunga National Park

Africa Conservation Foundation

Traffic

Further Information

Beirne, C., Houslay, T. M., Morkel, P., Clark, C. J., Fay, M., Okouyi, J., White, L. J. T., & Poulsen, J. R. (2021). African forest elephant movements depend on time scale and individual behavior. Scientific Reports, 11, 12634. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91627-z

Gobush, K.S., Edwards, C.T.T, Maisels, F., Wittemyer, G., Balfour, D. & Taylor, R.D. 2021. Loxodonta cyclotis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T181007989A181019888. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T181007989A181019888.en. Downloaded on 08 June 2021.

Hedwig, D., & Kohlberg, A. (2024). Call combination in African forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299656

Scalbert, M., Vermeulen, C., Breuer, T., & Doucet, J. L. (2022). The challenging coexistence of forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis and timber concessions in central Africa. Mammal Review, 52(3), 501–518. https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12305

African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#Africa #African #AfricanForestElephantLoxodontaCyclotis #Angola #Bantrophyhunting #Benin #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #BurkinaFaso #Cameroon #CentralAfricanRepublic #climatechange #cocoa #Congo #CriticallyEndangeredSpecies #deforestation #DemocracticRepublicOfCongo #elephant #elephants #Forest #Gabon #Guinea #ivory #Mammal #Nigeria #Pachyderm #pachyderms #palmoil #poaching #pollination #pollinator #rainforests #SeedDispersers #SierraLeone #timber #tobacco #vegan #WestAfrica

Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla

Mighty, intelligent and gentle Western Lowland Gorillas are well-loved apes, they are #critically endangered by #deforestation and habitat loss for #palmoil, cocoa and mining along with disease and illegal poaching in #Congo #Nigeria #Cameroon Help them to survive every time you shop! Join the #Boycott4Wildlife

Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla

https://youtu.be/KN2xyKHGpnI

Mighty and gentle Western Lowland Gorilla are well-loved apes 💌🦍, they are #critically endangered by #deforestation for #palmoil 🌴 #cocoa 🍫 in #Congo #Nigeria #Cameroon Help them to survive! #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/07/10/western-lowland-gorilla-gorilla-gorilla/

Despite superior intelligence and tight-knit families, Western Lowland #Gorillas 🦍 are critically #endangered by #palmoil and #tobacco #deforestation and #poaching 😓 Don’t let them vanish! #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴💀🔥🚫 @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/07/10/western-lowland-gorilla-gorilla-gorilla/

Critically Endangered

Angola (Cabinda); Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Equatorial Guinea (Equatorial Guinea (mainland)); Gabon; Nigeria

Habitat loss is emerging as a major threat to Western Gorillas. Other threats include disease and poaching. As oil-palm plantations in Asia reach capacity, Africa is becoming the new frontier for this crop, offering excellent economic prospects in countries with appropriate rainfall, soil and temperatures (Rival and Lavang 2014). Unfortunately, such areas coincide with good Gorilla habitat: 73.8% of the Western Lowland Gorilla’s range is considered suitable for oil palm (Wich et al. 2014).

IUCN red list

Western Lowland Gorillas are found in Angola (Cabinda enclave), Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), mainland Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), Gabon, Nigeria and Republic of Congo. Until recently, the core population had an almost continuous distribution from southern CAR to the Congo River and west to the coast. Rivers are the primary geographic barrier for this taxon, followed by habitat fragmentation: the two subspecies are separated by a major river (the Sanaga), and Western Lowland Gorillas are divided into subpopulations by other major rivers in the region (Anthony et al. 2007, Fünfstück et al. 2014, Fünfstück and Vigilant 2015).

The northwestern limit of the western lowland subspecies distribution is the Sanaga River in Cameroon; the northern limit is the forest-savanna boundary to a maximum of roughly 6°N; the eastern limit is the Ubangi River; the Congo River south of its confluence with the Ubangi then becomes the southeastern and southern limits all the way to the coast. Small outlying populations of the Cross River subspecies remain on the Nigeria-Cameroon border at the headwaters of the Cross River and in the proposed Ebo National Park in Cameroon. Most Western Gorillas are found below 500 m asl, but those living on mountains occasionally reach elevations of 1,900 m asl.

Western Gorillas are diurnal and semi-terrestrial. They build nests to sleep in every night, usually on the ground but sometimes in trees. They are social and live in stable, cohesive groups composed of one “silverback” adult male, several adult females and their offspring. Gorillas are not territorial and group ranges overlap extensively.

Western Lowland Gorillas occur in both swamp and lowland forests throughout Western Equatorial Africa. They are especially common where ground vegetation is dominated by monocotyledonous plants. Their staple foods are leaves and shoots of the Marantaceae family, whereas fruit consumption varies greatly between seasons (Rogers et al. 2004). Some populations spend hours feeding on aquatic herbs in swamps. Social ants and termites are the only animal matter deliberately eaten. Group size averages 10, but is occasionally over 20 individuals, and annual home ranges are usually 10–25 km² (Williamson and Butynski 2013).

Male Western Gorillas take 18 years to reach full maturity, whereas females take around 10 years. Their length of the reproductive cycle is unknown. Infant mortality up to three years of age is 22–65%. Infants suckle for 4–5 years, causing lactational amenorrhea in the mother. Interbirth intervals are 4–6 years. Western Gorillas appear to reproduce more slowly than Eastern Gorillas (G. beringei). The maximum length of their lives is unknown but likely to be around 40 years. Generation time is estimated to be 22 years.

The recent expansion of industrial-scale mineral extraction and the creation of open-pit mines are of great concern (Edwards et al. 2014, Lanjouw 2014), and also lead to the establishment of development corridors, which can be several kilometres wide and add to areas of “lost forest” (Laurance et al. 2015). There is a disconnect between the various bodies responsible for land-use planning in the realms of conservation, mining and agriculture in all Western Gorilla range states except Gabon. Consequently, there is increasing competition for land between long-term conservation needs and immediate financial gain as governments explore the potential of clearing natural habitat in favour of economic development. Without careful and immediate land-use planning that involves cooperation between the government bodies responsible for protected areas and wildlife on one hand, and economic and agricultural development on the other, large areas of Western Lowland Gorilla habitat could be cleared within a few decades.

You can support this beautiful animal

Ape Action Africa

PASA Primates

Virunga National Park

Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund

Further Information

Maisels, F., Bergl, R.A. & Williamson, E.A. 2018. Gorilla gorilla (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T9404A136250858. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T9404A136250858.en. Downloaded on 06 June 2021.

Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#Africa #Angola #Ape #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #Cameroon #CentralAfricanRepublic #cocoa #Congo #critically #CriticallyEndangeredSpecies #criticallyendangered #deforestation #DemocracticRepublicOfCongo #endangered #EquatorialGuinea #Gabon #Gorillas #meat #Nigeria #palmoil #poaching #Primate #primates #TheDemocraticRepublicOfCongo #timber #tobacco #WesternGorillaGorillaGorilla

https://archive.org/details/histoiredelacentrafrique/histoire%20de%20la%20centrafrique

Histoire de la Centrafrique by Yarisse Zoctizoum; Charles Bettelheim

Topics #colonialism, #neocolonialism, #frenchcolonialism, #françafrique, #Centrafrique, #CentralAfricanRepublic, #imperialism

Histoire de la Centrafrique
tome 1 (1879-1959)
violence du développement
domination et inégalités
1983

Histoire de la Centrafrique
tome 2 (1959-1979)
violence du développement
domination et inégalités
1984

White-bellied Pangolin Phataginus tricuspis

White-bellied Pangolin Phataginus tricuspis

Endangered

IUCN Red List Status: Endangered
Location: Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Tanzania, Zambia

Found across the remaining fragments of West and Central African rainforest, the elusive White-bellied Pangolin is a nocturnal, arboreal insectivore whose very body has become a global commodity.

The White-bellied Pangolin also commonly known as the Tree Pangolin are fascinating creatures akin to giant pest controllers, estimated to consume around 70 million insects per year. #Pangolins don’t have teeth, rather they have scales lining their stomachs which aid them in the digestion of food that is swallowed whole. Baby pangolins often ride on their mother’s backs and and are known as pango pups. They are able to use their tails to support their body weight and can walk upright on their hind legs.

They are often captured and killed for the illegal #poaching trade in abandoned palm oil plantations in their native homelands in #WestAfrica. Now classified as #Endangered by the IUCN, White-bellied Pangolins face a terrifying future. The dual threats of industrial-scale trafficking and rampant #deforestation for agriculture—especially #palmoil plantations—are pushing them towards extinction Help them every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/FnBYSGtzQ20?si=80-qlW_xbri9F5rG

White-bellied #Pangolins 🤎😻🙏 are threatened by #palmoil #cococa #meat #deforestation and #poaching. These amazing animals can walk upright on their hind legs🐾 Help them when you shop be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/18/white-bellied-pangolin-phataginus-tricuspis/

Meek and gentle white-bellied #pangolins are ruthlessly hunted for their scales which have ZERO medicinal value. A growing threat is #palmoil 🌴🪔🤢and #tobacco 🚭 #deforestation. Help them survive! #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/18/white-bellied-pangolin-phataginus-tricuspis/

Appearance and Behaviour

With their bodies armoured in keratin scales and their gentle, silent movements through the treetops, white-bellied pangolins have been described as one of the most extraordinary yet most misunderstood creatures on Earth.

Also known as the African Tree Pangolin, these slender and shy mammals are covered head to tail in overlapping, pale brown or yellowish scales made entirely of keratin. These scales provide formidable protection against predators, curling into a ball when threatened—a defence mechanism that unfortunately makes them easy targets for poachers. Adults typically weigh between 1.5 to 2.5 kilograms and grow to about 30 to 40 cm in body length, with tails often longer than their bodies to aid climbing.

Although often thought of as ground-dwelling, White-bellied Pangolins are superb climbers, capable of scaling tall trees with ease. Their prehensile tails help them balance while they forage along branches. They are largely nocturnal, solitary creatures, most active in the dark hours of night when they hunt for ants and termites. Motion-activated camera traps in West and Central African forests have shown them traversing forest floors and climbing high into the canopy, displaying surprising agility and adaptability (Akpona et al., 2008).

Social encounters are rare and brief, usually related to mating. White-bellied pangolins are silent and secretive, with subtle olfactory communication being their primary form of interaction. Even within protected areas, their presence is more often indicated by signs—like feeding holes or scat—than by direct sightings. Despite this elusiveness, they are now frequently detected in bushmeat markets across the region, highlighting the immense pressure they are under (Boakye et al., 2016).

Diet

White-bellied Pangolins feed exclusively on social insects—primarily ants and termites—which they locate using an acute sense of smell. Once prey is detected, they use their powerful, curved claws to tear open nests and extract insects using a long, sticky tongue that can extend more than 25 cm. Unlike other insectivores, they have no teeth; instead, they rely on their muscular stomach to grind food.

Their diet makes them ecological engineers, playing a critical role in controlling ant and termite populations and aerating soil through their foraging activity. This insectivorous diet also makes them highly vulnerable to habitat degradation, since many of their preferred prey species are sensitive to disturbance and disappear from logged or converted lands. A recent survey in the Oluwa Forest Reserve found that pangolin presence was strongly correlated with the abundance of ant and termite mounds, both of which are declining due to increasing land use (Adeniji et al., 2023).

Reproduction and Mating

Pangolins have slow reproductive rates. Females typically give birth to a single offspring after a gestation of around 150 days. Newborns are tiny, weighing around 80-100 grams, with soft, pink scales that harden over time. Young are known as ‘Pango Pups’. For the first few weeks, infants are carried on their mother’s tail, clinging tightly as she forages.

Breeding appears to occur year-round, though data is scarce. Most pangolin offspring are likely born during periods of high insect availability. Observations in Gabon have noted that most adult females encountered during field surveys were pregnant or nursing, suggesting near-continuous breeding potential (Pagès, 1975). However, due to intense poaching, pregnant and nursing pangolins are disproportionately removed from the wild, further destabilising populations.

Geographic Range

Phataginus tricuspis is the most widespread of all African pangolin species, ranging from Guinea-Bissau and Senegal in the west to north-western Tanzania and northern Angola in the east and south. It is present in at least 23 countries. Despite this wide distribution, populations are heavily fragmented, and many former strongholds—especially in West Africa—have seen local extinctions or drastic declines.

In Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, intensive habitat conversion for logging, agriculture, and urban development has devastated forests, and pangolins are now rare outside protected areas. Studies in Osun and Ondo States have shown sharp declines even in conservation areas due to poaching and ineffective law enforcement (Owolabi et al., 2024; Adeniji et al., 2023). The Yaoundé bushmeat markets in Cameroon have been identified as key hubs for trafficking pangolins sourced from up to 600 km away, revealing the extent of illegal harvesting across Central Africa (Dipita et al., 2024).

Threats

Forests are disappearing rapidly in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, their strongholds, while pangolin scales are being smuggled in tonnes across continents. With an estimated 0.4–2.7 million pangolins hunted annually in Central Africa alone, and seizures of their scales numbering in the hundreds of thousands of individuals, this species is in crisis (Ingram et al., 2018; Challender et al., 2019).

White-bellied Pangolins were often caught in abandoned or little-used oil palm plantations.

IUCN Red List

• Wildlife Trafficking: Phataginus tricuspis is the most trafficked African pangolin species. Between 2013 and 2019, an estimated 400,000 individuals were killed for their scales alone (Challender et al., 2019).
• Traditional Medicine and Bushmeat: Pangolins are widely consumed across West Africa and used in traditional rituals and pseudo medicine, particularly in Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon (Soewu & Ayodele, 2009).
• Palm Oil Deforestation: Industrial palm oil expansion is a major driver of forest loss throughout the species’ range. In Nigeria and Cameroon, pangolins are losing critical habitat to monoculture plantations (Adeniji et al., 2023).
• Habitat Fragmentation: Rapid human population growth and road expansion are isolating forest patches and making pangolins more accessible to poachers (Owolabi et al., 2024).

Take Action!

Boycott palm oil products to help save the White-bellied Pangolin and the forests they depend on. Support grassroots and indigenous-led conservation efforts in West and Central Africa. Demand stricter enforcement against wildlife trafficking and campaign online against the use of pangolins in traditional medicine. Use your wallet as a weapon and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

FAQs

How many White-bellied Pangolins are left in the wild? 

There is no precise global population estimate due to their elusive nature and widespread poaching. However, local studies and market data suggest the species is in steep decline. In Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, hunters now consider the species to be rare or extirpated from many former habitats (Akpona et al., 2008; Ingram et al., 2018).

Why are pangolins hunted? 

They are hunted for meat, traditional medicine, spiritual rituals, and increasingly, for international markets in China and Vietnam where their scales are used in pseudo-medicinal compounds. Scales from at least 200,000 pangolins were trafficked between 2015 and 2019 (Challender et al., 2019).

Do palm oil plantations affect pangolins? 

Yes. The conversion of natural forest to palm oil monocultures destroys their habitat, reduces food sources, and makes pangolins more vulnerable to hunting. In southern Nigeria, White-bellied Pangolins were once found even in degraded farms, but monocultures support fewer ants and termites, removing their core diet (Sodeinde & Adedipe, 1994).

Do pangolins make good pets? 

Absolutely not. Pangolins are solitary, wild animals with highly specialised diets. They cannot survive long in captivity, and the illegal pet trade drives their extinction. Keeping them as pets is cruel and ecologically devastating.

White-bellied Pangolin Phataginus tricuspis

Further Information

Adeniji, A. E., Ejidike, B. N., Olaniyi, O. E., & Akala, V. T. (2023). Distribution and threat to white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) in Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria. Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, 15(2). https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jrfwe/article/view/252333

Dipita, A. D., Missoup, A. D., Aguillon, S., Lecompte, E., Momboua, B. R., Chaber, A. L., … & Gaubert, P. (2024). Genetic tracing of the illegal trade of the white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) in western Central Africa. Scientific Reports, 14, 13131. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63666-9

Ingram, D. J., Coad, L., Abernethy, K. A., Maisels, F., Stokes, E. J., Bobo, K. S., … & Simo, M. (2018). Assessing Africa-wide pangolin hunting pressures and trade. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 6, 25. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12389

Owolabi, B. A., Akinsorotan, O. A., Adewumi, A. A., & Sanusade, A. O. (2024). Locals’ perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes regarding the conservation of the critically endangered Phataginus tricuspis. ResearchSquare. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3944447/v1

Pietersen, D., Moumbolou, C., Ingram, D.J., Soewu, D., Jansen, R., Sodeinde, O., Keboy Mov Linkey Iflankoy, C., Challender, D. & Shirley, M.H. 2019. Phataginus tricuspis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T12767A123586469. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T12767A123586469.en. Downloaded on 17 January 2021.

Soewu, D. A., & Ayodele, I. A. (2009). Utilization of pangolins in traditional Yorubic medicine in Ijebu province, Ogun State, Nigeria. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 5, 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-5-39

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
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• Mail
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Enter your email address

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#Angola #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #Burundi #bushmeat #Cameroon #CentralAfricanRepublic #cococa #Congo #corruption #CoteDIvoire #crime #deforestation #DemocracticRepublicOfCongo #endangered #EndangeredSpecies #Gabon #Ghana #GuineaBissau #illegalPetTrade #IvoryCoast #Kenya #Liberia #Mammal #meat #Nigeria #palmoil #pangolin #Pangolins #poachers #poaching #pokemon #pokemons #SierraLeone #SierraLeone #SouthSudan #StopTheTrade #Tanzania #tobacco #Uganda #vegan #WestAfrica #WhiteBelliedPangolinPhataginusTricuspis #wildlifetrade #Zambia