A sweeping new study covering six Central African countries has found that people are eating more wild animals now than they were a decade ago, and the trend is accelerating. The research, published in Nature, tracked bushmeat consumption across Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Republic of the Congo, and found that an estimated 4.5 million tonnes of wild meat are consumed annually in the region.
The Numbers Behind the Hunt
Researchers analyzed data from 84 sites collected between 1990 and 2020. They found that the total annual harvest of wild meat in Central Africa increased by 24% from 2010 to 2020. The average person in the region now eats roughly 50 kilograms of wild animal meat per year, more than double the global average for all meat consumption. The most commonly consumed species include duikers, porcupines, monkeys, and pangolins.
Why Local Communities Can't Stop
For millions of people across Central Africa, wild meat is not a luxury, it's a necessity. The study found that in rural areas, bushmeat provides up to 80% of protein intake. Urban demand is also rising, with wild meat appearing in markets in cities like Kinshasa, Yaoundé, and Libreville. Weak law enforcement and limited access to affordable livestock meat are driving the increase. The authors note that hunting is often the only source of income for many families living near forests.
What This Means for Wildlife
The findings raise serious concerns for conservation. Several species hunted for meat are already threatened with extinction. Forest elephants, gorillas, and chimpanzees are among the animals most vulnerable to overhunting. The study estimates that the current rate of harvest is unsustainable for many species, and that without intervention, populations could collapse within decades. The researchers call for better monitoring of hunting practices and for alternative protein sources to be made available.
The study does not prescribe solutions, but it makes clear that the scale of wild meat consumption in Central Africa is far larger than previously understood. For conservation efforts to succeed, they must reckon with the reality that for millions of people, eating wild animals is not a choice, it's survival.
