Assessment of illegal bushmeat using high thoroughput molecular tools in transboundary villages bordering Serengeti ecosystem in Tarime District, Tanzania
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Date
2018
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Detection of illegal bush-meat in Africa has over the years relied on morphological
identification technique, which is less effective due to post-hunting procedures. Therefore,
the current study aimed at assessing bush-meat dynamics in trans-boundary areas of
Tanzania and Kenya in the western part of Serengeti ecosystem. A cross-sectional design
with two different methodologies was used. First, semi-structured questionnaires were
administered to collect information on socio-demographic and other social factors leading
to illegal bush-meat hunting, preference and consumption. Secondly, to augment the
information obtained from the questionnaire, qPCR-HRM analysis was employed by using
three different molecular markers 16s, Cytb and COI for molecular identification of
assumed 138 collected sundried bush-meat samples. The results indicated that hunting
occurs mostly in the dry season primarily using snares, and wildebeest was revealed to be
the most hunted. Furthermore, young demonstrated high bush-meat consumption whereas
immigrants showed high bush-meat preference. Likewise, highly educated young
respondents indicated to have a high consumption and preference than less educated old
respondents. Regarding molecular identification, 20 species were identified altogether,
with zebra constituting the majority (n=51, 49.5%). It is recommended that high
surveillance against poaching is needed by wildlife authorities during dry season; proper
disposal of the unworthy wire cables by TANESCO; sensitization of both primary and
secondary school students on legal harvesting of wildlife were made. Other
recommendations focused on the need for proper execution of HRM procedures for bush-
meat identification; and that for bush-meat samples to be accepted in court of law as
exhibits should be analyzed using molecular procedures that proved to be reliable.
Description
M.Sc. Dissertation
Keywords
Illegal bushmeat, Molecular tools, Serengeti ecosystem, Tarime District, Tanzania, High Thoroughtput molecular tool