Mr. Allotey addressing journalists at the Mole Park
The Forestry Commission of Ghana has received assistance from the European Union Delegation to Ghana to support the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission to conduct Wildlife Census in Mole National Park.
This consists of training of staff at the Park to assist in using a light aircraft to carry out an Aerial Wildlife Census and Ground Line Transect Counting of the wildlife in the Park.
The European Union is spending € 140,000 training staff and field workers at the Park started on 27th February, 2019, and will continue for one month, to the end of March. Data analysis and report writing will however continue to the end of August 2019.
The Deputy Chief Executive of Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey who read a joint statement on behalf of EU and Ghana said the initiative follows a request made by the Forestry Commission to the European Union to fund the census of the wildlife of the Mole National Park, to update the population of the key species of wild animals in the Park.
According to him, the last census conducted at the Park was in 2006, and needed to be updated every five years. This exercise has become necessary to allow: the “Park Management to assess the current population of the key species of wildlife to facilitate a review and update of the Park’s Management Plan. This will enable the Forestry Commission to meet one of the major requirements to proceed with an application to UNESCO to consider listing the Mole park.
He indicated that the wildlife census will be conducted by Bushskies Aerial Photography, a company from Namibia, in partnership with the Namibia University of Science and Technology. The census will be carried out with the support of selected staff of Mole National Park, who will be provided with special training to equip them to conduct a ground based counting of the wild animals using line transects methods, act as observers to conduct an aerial wildlife census using alight aircraft.
They will also be expected to access aerial photographic imagery for an assessment of the wildlife Populations, use Geographic lntomation Systems (615) methods to locate and map the populations of the wild animals in order to enhance organization and management of the spatial data collected by field staff.
The population survey will report on the following key species: Elephants, Buffalos, Hartebeests,Roan Antelopes, Waterbucks, Kobs, Duikers, Oribi, Bushbucks, Warthogs, Baboons, Lions, Leopards and Spotted Hyenas.
“Protected areas are important for preserving cultural values, historical sites, biological diversity and environmental sustainability. They are also major socio-economic assets that contribute to national development as a source of employment, income generation and livelihood support, ” Mr. Allotey said
The census of the wildlife populations will generate knowledge about the current population status and the distribution of the key species of the Park. The use of the GIS and the establishment of the ecological monitoring system will enable a wider coverage of the Park in surveillance and thus enhance the management effectiveness of the Park staff.
FROM Eric Kombat, Damongo