Hunting in pristine forests
Silvia Moka setting up an acoustic sensor.
I began working in Equatorial Guinea in 2002. First, as a Research Advisor for the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program (BBPP), a conservation organization co-run by Drexel University and the National University of Equatorial Guinea aimed at the study and conservation of Bioko Island’s biodiversity through research, public outreach and higher education. Since then, I have worked for BBPP in various capacities, including Country Manager, and Science and Policy Advisor. Through these roles, I have led and coordinated several of BBPP’s research, conservation and environmental policy initiatives, including biomonitoring diurnal primates and sea turtles, studying the socioeconomic of the bushmeat trade - the main threat to Bioko’s wildlife; and developing guidelines for best conservation practices.
Currently, I collaborate with the BBPP to investigate how primary forests responds to a recent increase in poaching in an area that was previously inaccessible. To do so I am comparing the acoustic properties of accessible vs. inaccessible forests. I also want to characterise spatio-temporal hunting patterns across the landscape through the automatic detection of shotgun sounds. To that end, in January 2018 I deployed a network of Cornell University’s SWIFT acoustic sensors that have been recording environmental sounds since. Combined, these results will help us better understand the bushmeat supply and demand chain and thus develop more effective strategies to reduce this illegal activity. This project is being funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Services and the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.
8th April 2022 Update: Our paper is out! We found that while accessibility (i.e., distance to road, villages and terrain heterogeneity) increased hunting, research presence served as an effective deterrent! I am now using these results to inform the new Equatorial Guinea’s National Conservation Strategy, which is currently being drafted.
Currently, I collaborate with the BBPP to investigate how primary forests responds to a recent increase in poaching in an area that was previously inaccessible. To do so I am comparing the acoustic properties of accessible vs. inaccessible forests. I also want to characterise spatio-temporal hunting patterns across the landscape through the automatic detection of shotgun sounds. To that end, in January 2018 I deployed a network of Cornell University’s SWIFT acoustic sensors that have been recording environmental sounds since. Combined, these results will help us better understand the bushmeat supply and demand chain and thus develop more effective strategies to reduce this illegal activity. This project is being funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Services and the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.
8th April 2022 Update: Our paper is out! We found that while accessibility (i.e., distance to road, villages and terrain heterogeneity) increased hunting, research presence served as an effective deterrent! I am now using these results to inform the new Equatorial Guinea’s National Conservation Strategy, which is currently being drafted.
The elusive Zenkerella
The very first specimen caught!
As an extremely fun side project, I am working with Dr Erik Seiffert (University of Southern California, USA) on the ecology and functional anatomy of the obscure flightless scaly-tailed squirrel (Zenkerella insignis). If you do not know what that is, do not worry, you are not alone! Our paper describing its anatomy and phylogenetic relationship created quite a stirred! Some of the news coverage on our article: The Washington Post, CNN, Diario Sur, Mother Nature Network, Christian Science Monitor, Quo, Sci News, The Weather Channel, Independent, Daily Mail, CTV News