Local knowledge and science combine for wildlife conservation in Cameroon

In the lush, biodiverse forests of southeastern Cameroon, conservation is not just a technical challenge — it is a cultural, ecological and historical negotiation. At the centre of this negotiation is local knowledge, passed down through generations of people whose lives are closely tied to the land and the animals it harbours. 

The  Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme in Cameroon works directly with these communities through a community-rights-based approach that brings together science, traditional knowledge and community rights, resulting in stronger natural resource management. At the heart of the programme’s operations is Robert Okale, the project’s field coordinator and long-time para-ecologist.

“It’s very important to work with local communities because they are both the primary beneficiaries and, equally, the first victims of environmental challenges,” said Okale. “As researchers and technical experts, we bring scientific knowledge, but river communities hold practical and traditional knowledge. That’s why it’s essential to involve them in our work.” 

Known affectionately by colleagues and community members as  Petit Robert — a nickname that belies both his physical stature and his outsized role in the project — Okale brings decades of field experience. His deep familiarity with the region’s flora and fauna is matched only by his enduring relationships with Bantu and Baka communities across the forest landscape. 

A decade of dedication 

Robert’s journey with the research team in Cameroon began in 2017, during a Darwin Initiative project focusing on Baka communities in the Mintom area of South Cameroon. Before then, he worked with national and international scientists, including the University of San Francisco and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

Now, with the SWM Programme, he serves as a bridge between research teams and rural communities. His field knowledge, observational skills and trust within villages help ensure that conservation work is grounded in local realities.

“Robert doesn’t just know where animals are found,” said one team member. “He understands how people think about those animals, what they mean to the community and how the forest works as a whole. That knowledge is irreplaceable.”

But Robert’s role is not an isolated example. Across the SWM Programme in Cameroon, hundreds of hunters and other members of the 20 Baka Indigenous and Bantu farming communities involved in the project are also co-researchers and co-managers. Their knowledge of species behaviour, seasonal hunting patterns, traditional land-use practices and ethical norms around wildlife use is shaping how the project responds to emerging challenges, such as declining species, land-use change and increased human–wildlife contact.

For instance, when designing community hunting zones or discussing alternatives to unsustainable practices, project teams do not rely solely on ecological models or population data. With the consent of community elders, they consult community members about animal movements, the cultural and spiritual significance of particular species and how access to land has changed over time.  

“What stands out to me in the work I’m doing with SWM is the working method,” said Okale. “The method we’re putting in place is quite pioneering. Until now, I had mostly seen it from a theoretical perspective, and being among the first people to put [participatory approaches] into practice is truly exciting and rewarding.”

This collaborative approach does more than generate better data. It builds ownership, trust and more durable conservation outcomes.

“You cannot manage what you do not understand,” said a Baka participant in a recent planning session. “And to understand this forest, you have to have lived it.” 

This emphasis on co-production of knowledge — where science and local experience meet on equal footing — is not only a philosophical position but a practical strategy. Projects that ignore or marginalize local ecological knowledge often struggle with community buy-in, rely on flawed assumptions and risk failing to detect the subtle but important changes that long-term residents notice first.

Recent research in the African Journal of Ecologymakes a similar case: bridging scientific and local knowledge systems is essential for effective and just conservation.

Local ecological knowledge provides insight into ecological baselines, cultural values and adaptive responses that cannot be captured through formal science alone. Scientific tools, in turn, can support and extend local efforts by offering new perspectives, analytical rigour and links to policy frameworks.

The SWM Programme’s experience in Cameroon shows how combining local knowledge and scientific tools can support more effective conservation. In one village, women contributed detailed accounts of changes in wild meat availability linked to logging activity. In another, youth groups shared knowledge about wildlife health and carcass handling — data that informed zoonotic risk assessments. These contributions did not come from formal degrees or laboratories, but from observation, memory and daily practice.

“The keyword for us is implementation,” said Okale. “We focus on implementation while respecting the communities’ occupations and preoccupations. In short, we want to ensure that all initiatives come from them.”

Evolving knowledge base 

Importantly, this knowledge is not static. It evolves, adapts and incorporates new experiences, including those brought in by the SWM Programme. Rather than romanticizing or freezing traditional knowledge, the project treats it as dynamic: a living body of understanding that must be respected, but also engaged, tested, and expanded through dialogue.

“The evolution of traditional knowledge is quite interesting,” said Okale. “[For example, it can lead us to consider] if there’s a way to combine traditional hunting practices with modern ones; this mix could lead to a more balanced and sustainable approach for the forest ecosystem.”

This respectful, collaborative spirit is what makes the work of people like Okale so valuable. He is a practitioner, an interpreter, a diplomat and steward of knowledge that cannot be replaced. His presence is a reminder that conservation is not about delivering answers from the outside. It is about working with people to shape solutions and responses that reflect the complexity of the places they seek to protect.

As pressure on Africa’s forests intensifies and global health and biodiversity crises converge, local ecological knowledge cannot be treated as secondary. Projects like the SWM Programme in Cameroon show that when conservation listens to the people who live with the forest, it sees more clearly.

Acknowledgements

The SWM Programme is a major international initiative that aims to improve the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife in forest, savannah and wetland ecosystems. It is funded by the European Union, with co-funding from the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) and the French Development Agency (AFD).

Projects are being piloted and tested with governments and communities in 16 participating countries. The initiative is coordinated by a consortium of four partners, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).