Environmental
Hunting pressure shrinks safe space for mandrills in national park
New research shows that hunting pressure inside Monte Alén National Park is sharply reducing safe habitat for mandrills in Equatorial Guinea, forcing them into less disturbed forest areas.
Researchers from the University of Bristol Veterinary School and Bristol Zoological Society deployed 35 camera traps over more than 10,000 camera‑trap days in Monte Alén National Park in Equatorial Guinea. They recorded only 79 mandrill detections, with animals avoiding areas near hunting camps even within the protected park. The findings indicate that hunting pressure is actively reducing the amount of safe habitat available to mandrills, one of Africa’s largest monkeys. Experts warn that, without stronger protection of key areas and community engagement to reduce hunting, mandrill populations could decline further inside this important rainforest stronghold.
- Status
- active
- Location
- Monte Alén National Park, Equatorial Guinea
- Date added
- 2026-03-26 02:33 UTC
- Last updated
- 2026-03-26 02:33 UTC
- Source
- University of Bristol
- Connected threats
- Not provided