Endangered Yet Hunted: Oku’s Latest Serval Capture Raises Concerns

A hunter in Oku has captured a serval and presented it to the local palace, following long-held cultural traditions. According to reports by the Cameroon News Agency (CNA), the hunter tracked the elusive animal in the forest, engaging in a fierce struggle before bringing it down with an arrow. To prevent its escape, he broke its hind legs and transported it to the palace as custom dictates.

Reports indicate that the hunter, Shey Nyianchi, has earned the prestigious title of Nforme, as dictated by Oku tradition.

This latest capture has sparked mixed reactions, with local communities celebrating the hunter’s bravery and highlighting the risk the animal poses to the population.

“Are you serious! Do you Know how many people were at risk of being harmed by that creature? We are not talking about a zoo here, that’s a predator that appears to have been roaming around human life? What if there were children around?” Ndosak Zebedee Ntoane wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile environmentalists warn of the consequences of dwindling leopard and serval populations in Cameroon’s North-West region.

“It’s. Serval. l and it’s getting extinct! Protect them not eat them! There are many other sources of meat, eat those, protect these ones!” Akumbu Bubu said.

A Tradition at Odds with Conservation Efforts

The capture of wild and ferocious animals has long been a revered tradition in Oku, where such hunts earn hunters prestige and honor from the community. In accordance with customary practices, the hunter was lauded for his feat, underscoring the deep-rooted belief in offering wild beasts to the palace. However, conservationists have expressed concern over the practice, especially given the near extinction of leopards and servals in the region.

The situation mirrors an incident that took place just last year, when Bongjoh Amos Njakoi, another hunter from Oku, captured a leopard in the Kilum-Ijim Forest. That case, widely reported at the time, saw Njakoi unexpectedly finding the leopard in a trap he had originally set for a mole rat. He later presented the animal to the palace, earning himself the prestigious title of “Nforme Nkohnyam” and a red feather, symbols of distinction in Oku tradition.

Anthropologist Tatah Peter Ntaimah previously explained the significance of such captures: “If a ferocious animal is caught, it must be taken to the ‘fon’ [King]. The leopard is the totemic animal of the palace, and the fon is known as ‘nyam baa,’ meaning ‘leopard’ in Oku.”

Environmentalists Sound the Alarm

While the local community views these captures as acts of valor, conservationists argue that they signal an alarming trend in the region’s wildlife decline. Leopards and servals, once common in Cameroon’s North-West, are now extremely rare due to habitat loss, urbanization, and uncontrolled hunting.

Tah Kenneth Konsum, an environmental activist, previously noted that leopards last appeared in the Mount Oku area in the 1980s. He suggested that any reappearance should prompt conservation efforts instead of elimination.

The Kilum-Ijim Forest, a vital ecosystem that supports thousands of local people, is already under threat from deforestation and human encroachment. With leopards and servals nearing extinction in the region, experts warn that continued hunting could lead to the complete disappearance of these species from the area.

Balancing Tradition and Conservation

The recent serval capture raises pressing questions about the future of wildlife conservation in Oku. As the community upholds its cultural traditions, there is a growing need for dialogue between local leaders and conservation groups to develop strategies that both honor customs and protect endangered species.