Population size and conservation status of large terrestrial mammals in a West African protected area

Abstract

Terrestrial large mammals are threatened in West and Central Africa due to trade and consumption. The species population size was estimated using diurnal distance sampling in Old Oyo National Park, Nigeria. Mean species abundance and density ranged from 631 ± 281 to 3320 ± 1163 individuals and 2.0661 ± 1.356 to 6.7525 ± 3.0376 individuals km⁻² between sub-habitat types, and from 258 ± 125 to 2671 ± 867 individuals and 0.9526 ± 0.6801 to 5.1377 ± 1.8988 individual km⁻² between the ranges. Based on IUCN guidelines for local assessment, we classified 1 species as Vulnerable, 10 Near Threatened and 1 Least Concern. Long-term population monitoring and education programmes are crucial.