Alex Partington

Field Staff, GVI Canary Islands
Fai Collins Ndi

Masters Student, University of Bamenda

I am a biodiversity conservationist from Cameroon. I recently completed a Professional MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Management from the University of Bamenda, Cameroon and I am currently pursuing a Conversion MSc in Wildlife Resource Management in the same University. I have been serving as a volunteer for Apiculture and Nature Conservation Organization where we engage communities around protected areas in the North West Region of Cameroon in alternative livelihood activities in order to reduce stress on biodiversity. With the ongoing socio-political conflict in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions, it has made conservation activities in these regions difficult as forest reserves are now used as hideouts for the non-state armed groups (NSAGs) whose activities are posing threats to biodiversity in these areas. With this setback, I have been working as an independent researcher in Cameroon’s Eastern Region precisely in the Nki National Park which is considered as the “last true wilderness” in Cameroon with lots of biodiversity. My studies have concentrated on forest elephants: its dung decay rate, population status, feeding pattern, anthropogenic disturbances. Human-Elephant conflict is very prevalent in this park which warrants mitigation.