Run for Great Apes, a tool to increase awareness on the status of great apes in the proposed Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary area-Western Cameroon.
This project's parent organization is The Environment and Rural Development Foundation
It operates in Cameroon
It uses Athletics and Football (Soccer)
Entered the Sport for the Environment Award
More about Run for Great Apes, a tool to increase awareness on the status of great apes in the proposed Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary area-Western Cameroon.
ERuDeF since 2004 has been involved with the conservation of the great apes (Cross river gorillas and Nigerian-Cameroon chimpanzees) whose population now number 300 in the wild with their survival being disturbed by human anthropogenic activities. Her activities follow an integrated community-based approach to saving these last critically endangered Great Apes of the Lebialem-Mone Forest Landscape, Western Cameroon.
Preliminary activities in the site have conducted conservation education in both schools and communities in the area organized in different ways. In February 2009, ERuDeF co-sponsored an athletic team to take part in the 2009 edition of the ‘Mt Cameroon Race of Hope’ during which a member of the team came in third. Also in December 2009 ERuDeF organized a cross country race in Buea in collaboration with GRASP and the Ministry of Sports in Cameroon to commemorate the 2009 year of the gorilla. These have highly contributed to the level of awareness on Great Apes conservation. A sporting event to include a football tournament and a cross country race is in view and will be a platform to conduct a more serious awareness exercise.
The event is also considered as a golden opportunity that will attract local, national and possibly international attention to the creation of a proposed Tofala Hill Community Wildlife Sanctuary to save these last great apes in the Bechati-Lebialem Forest. Communities in the conservation area will be exposed to a better chance of understanding the importance of the species and also their participation at the sporting competition will not only be a quest for fame but an indicator of their individual commitment to the cause. The whole idea will be bundled into a package known as the ‘Great Apes Advocacy Week’.