Gabar 21:1&2 November 2010 1 ARTICLES The commercial trade in bushmeat potentially threatens raptor populations in the Ebo forest, Cameroon Robbie C. Whytock 1 & Bethan J. Morgan 1, 2, 3 1 Ebo Forest Research Project, BP 3055, Messa, Yaoundé, Cameroon. E-mail: robbie@eboforest.org 2 Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, 15600 San Pasqual Road, Escondido, CA, 92027, USA E-mail: bmorgan@sandiegozoo.org 3 Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, UK Key words: Ebo Forest, Bush meat, raptor meat Abstract The Ebo forest is one of the largest (>1,500 km 2 ) and most functionally intact rainforests in the high biodiversity region between the Sanaga River in Cameroon and the Cross River in Nigeria. The raptor population consists of at least 13 diurnal species, including African Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus), Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus africanus) and Long-tailed Hawk (Urotriorchis macrourus). Hunting to supply the commercial trade in bushmeat is threatening large bodied, slow reproducing species throughout Cameroon. Here we report on the killing and consumption of large raptors by commercial hunters in the Ebo forest, Cameroon. Introduction The commercial bushmeat trade affecting the forest zone of West and Central Africa is well documented and various studies have identified the species affected (e.g. Robinson & Bennett, 2000). However, these