Abstract:
Illegal hunting is a persistent problem in many protected areas, but an overview of the extent
of this problem and its impact on wildlife is lacking. We reviewed 40 years (1980–2020) of
global research to examine the spatial distribution of research and socio-ecological factors
influencing population decline within protected areas under illegal hunting pressure. From
81 papers reporting 988 species/site combinations, 294 mammal species were reported to
have been illegally hunted from 155 protected areas across 48 countries. Research in illegal
hunting has increased substantially during the review period and showed biases towards
strictly protected areas and the African continent. Population declines were most frequent in
countries with a low human development index, particularly in strict protected areas and for
species with a body mass over 100 kg. Our results provide evidence that illegal hunting is
most likely to cause declines of large-bodied species in protected areas of resource-poor
countries regardless of protected area conservation status. Given the growing pressures of
illegal hunting, increased investments in people’s development and additional conservation
efforts such as improving anti-poaching strategies and conservation resources in terms of
improving funding and personnel directed at this problem are a growing priority.
