The Sustainability of Endangered Species of Wild FAUNA and FLORA in Cameroon: A Myth or Reality towards Environmental Protection

Abstract

Many communities view forests as vital cultural and ecological treasures due to their abundant natural resources, which support human existence and provide habitats for wildlife. Unfortunately, forest resources (wild fauna and flora) are experiencing indiscriminate and unregulated exploitation, causing some to be endangered while others fronting serious threats of extinction in the wild as a result of their great significance to mankind. Therefore, it is a conditio sine-qua-non for stakeholders to guarantee the protection of these species for their sustainability in the wild. The Cameroon government has gone a long way in protecting wild fauna and flora in the wild especially those pertaining to endangered species by ratifying international conventions, enacting national legislations as well as establishing institutions for their protection, although the degree of protection is questionable. In this direction, this article therefore, seeks to review how the various legal and institutional frameworks have been implemented and enforced in protecting endangered species of wild fauna and flora for their sustainability. Through a content analysis of primary and secondary data, the findings revealed amongst others that Cameroon forest is rich in biodiversity potentials of wild flora and fauna, though some are either threatened or endangered due to indiscriminate and unregulated exploitation, which has become a major challenge in the forestry sector. We thus advise the implementation of comprehensive domestic laws, regulations, and institutional frameworks in Cameroon to effectively enforce agreements concerning biodiversity and endangered
species.