Small Rainforest Predators Are Photographed and Studied in Gabon

The west African country of Gabon is known for its gorillas, elephants, and other large animal species, but a recent study has shed light on little-known rainforest predators that could face increasing pressure from the


African civet

Laila Bahaa-el-din
African civet
bushmeat trade. Using camera traps, bushmeat surveys, and DNA analyses, researchers from Panthera, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and other groups completed the first-ever survey of 12 small carnivore species throughout the country. The study found two species — the common slender mongoose and the Cameroon cusimanse — that hadn’t been found in Gabon before, and it documented an extended range for the Egyptian mongoose. “It appears that these species are widespread and not currently threatened, but the proximity of many small carnivores to human settlements and the growing bushmeat trade could potentially impact these populations,” said Wildlife Conservation Society researcher Fiona Maisels, who co-authored the study. “These new findings will help inform future management.”