Introduction

As part of the celebration of World Endangered Species Day in Cameroon, the Environmental Education Center organized an awareness activity on May 11, 2026, in the locality of Djaoro-Kombo. The main objective of this activity was to raise awareness among local populations about the endangered species of the Mbam and Djerem National Park, as well as the consequences related to their disappearance. This initiative also aimed to strengthen community awareness and encourage local populations to get involved in the protection of their locality’s natural resources.

Activity Progress

The awareness activity took place in a friendly and participatory atmosphere. Traditional authorities, MINFOF representatives, and local communities from Djaoro-Kombo attended the event. The session began with a welcome speech and introductory remarks from the center’s facilitators. Afterwards, traditional authorities welcomed the initiative and encouraged community members to actively participate in the discussions.

The main awareness messages focused on:

The discussions with the participants made it possible to address several concerns related to wildlife and environmental conservation in the locality. The communities showed great interest through their questions, reactions, and active participation throughout the session.

Results Obtained

At the end of this activity, 90 people were made aware, with strong involvement of the populations during the discussions; sustained attention to the awareness messages; a clear interest of the participants in issues related to biodiversity conservation; a better understanding of the consequences of the disappearance of threatened species; and a strengthening of the links between local communities and conservation actors.

Difficulties Encountered

Although the activity progressed smoothly overall, bad weather temporarily disrupted parts of the session. However, organizers successfully continued the program.

Recommendations

At the end of this activity, the following recommendations were made:

Increase awareness activities in the locality in order to keep the population informed and involved.

Develop strategies allowing communities to better perceive the benefits of conservation in their environment.

Strengthen collaboration between conservation actors, local authorities, and the populations; further encourage community participation in biodiversity protection initiatives.

Conclusion

The awareness campaign organized by the center in Djaoro-Kombo as part of World Endangered Species Day made it possible to convey important messages on combating illegal wildlife trafficking and preserving biodiversity. The interest shown by the populations and their active participation demonstrates the importance of continuing this type of initiative in the communities surrounding the Mbam and Djerem National Park.