Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations governing prey choice by hunters in a post-war African forest-savannah macromosaic.

ABSTRACT: Overhunting typically increases during and after armed conflicts, and may lead to regional-scale defaunation. The mitigation of hunting impacts is complex because, among other reasons, several intrinsic and extrinsic motivations underpin the elevated deployment of hunting practices. Here we present the first study focusing on these motivations in a post-war zone. Following persistently heavy hunting pressure during the 27-year Angolan civil war, the offtake of small to medium-bodied species has increased recently as a result of large mammal depletion. However, prey choice associated with different motivations varied in terms of species trophic level and body size. While most residents hunted large-bodied species to maximize revenues from wildlife trade, many low-trophic level smaller speci

SUBMITTER: Braga-Pereira F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8687528 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature