Perception des communautés locales et impact de la chasse sur l’Okapi dans l’éco-région Ubanguienne, République Démocratique du Congo.

Abstract

This work involved conducting a survey on the population's perception and the impact of hunting on the Okapi in the Ubangui-enne ecoregion in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The survey results show that the majority of participants are between 18 and 35 years old (56%), with notable representation from the Mono (23%) and Ngbandi (20%) sociocultural groups. Men dom-inate the sample (71%), and most respondents have a secondary level of education (61%). Farmers form the main professional group (32%), followed by hunters (16%). The majority of participants are married (58%). Additionally, a significant portion (84%) of respondents has been exposed to infected animals, posing public health risks. An overwhelming majority (96%) has access to protected species, and 94% participate in hunting or collecting indigenous species, thus highlighting the importance of local natural resources. Perceptions about conservation are largely positive, with 76% of respondents seeing conservation poten-tial and 58% having a favorable attitude toward conservation organizations. The main motivation for hunting is the search for meat (32%), and a large majority (93%) supports regulatory measures for environmental protection.