Assessment Of Illegal Bushmeat Using High Thoroughput Molecular Tools In Transboundary Villages Bordering Serengeti Ecosystem In Tarime District, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Detection of illegal bush-meat in Africa has over the years relied on morphological identification technique, which is less effective due to post-hunting procedures. Therefore, the current study aimed at assessing bush-meat dynamics in trans-boundary areas of Tanzania and Kenya in the western part of Serengeti ecosystem. A cross-sectional design with two different methodologies was used. First, semi-structured questionnaires were administered to collect information on socio-demographic and other social factors leading to illegal bush-meat hunting, preference and consumption. Secondly, to augment the information obtained from the questionnaire, qPCR-HRM analysis was employed by using three different molecular markers 16s, Cytb and COI for molecular identification of assumed 138 collected sundried bush-meat samples. The results indicated that hunting occurs mostly in the dry season primarily using snares, and wildebeest was revealed to be the most hunted. Furthermore, young demonstrated high bush-meat consumption whereas immigrants showed high bush-meat preference. Likewise, highly educated young respondents indicated to have a high consumption and preference than less educated old respondents. Regarding molecular identification, 20 species were identified altogether, with zebra constituting the majority (n=51, 49.5%). It is recommended that high surveillance against poaching is needed by wildlife authorities during dry season; proper disposal of the unworthy wire cables by TANESCO; sensitization of both primary and secondary school students on legal harvesting of wildlife were made. Other recommendations focused on the need for proper execution of HRM procedures for bush-meat identification; and that for bush-meat samples to be accepted in court of law as exhibits should be analyzed using molecular procedures that proved to be reliable.