ERuDeF

ERuDeF at the 4th African Primatological Society - APS Congress, Yaoundé!

Our team at ERuDeF alongside President/CEO Nkembi joined primatologists, conservationists and policymakers from across Africa and beyond at the 4th APS Congress , presenting on the transboundary Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee population the work done so far, the challenges still facing this fragile landscape, and the solutions ERuDeF is putting forward to protect it.

Alongside the presentations, it was another opportunity to connect with fellow conservationists, researchers and partners working to secure Africa's primates for the future.

It was also a proud moment to witness the Congress open with remarks from Hon. Jules Doret Ndongo (Minister of Forestry and Wildlife), Madame Ngalié Maha (Director of Wildlife and Protected Areas), APS President Dr. Inza Koné, and a full-circle reunion between APS Vice President Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka and Dr. Ekwoge Abwe the very role Dr. Gladys held back in 2019 when Uganda hosted the 2nd APS Congress.

Grateful for the conversations, the connections, and the chance to represent Cameroon's grate apes conservation story on this stage.

🌍 | Day 2 Highlights from Yaoundé! 🌿
We are thrilled to continue our participation at the 4th Congress of the African Primatological Society (APS) currently taking place in Yaoundé, Cameroon! 🇨🇲
Day 2 has been filled with engaging discussions, insightful presentations, and inspiring collaborations among primatologists, conservationists, and researchers from across Africa and beyond—all working together to protect Africa’s rich primate diversity and natural habitats.
At ERuDeF, we remain deeply committed to biodiversity conservation, community involvement, and safeguarding threatened species in Cameroon.
📸 Take a look at some of the key moments from Day 2!
Stay tuned as we continue sharing updates and insights throughout the congress.
Conservation

Happy new month family. Good news!!!

Admissions are Currently ongoing at the ERuDeF University Institute of Applied Biodiversity Science.

Scholarships are available for early birds, rush to our campus in at Checkpoint Molyko Buea Co- Cathedral road

ERuDeF's Great Apes Programme

Cameroon's Great Apes in the east and southwest regions are facing growing threats from human activities and habitat loss.

These regions are home to very important great ape species, the western lowland gorilla classified as Critically Endangered, and the central chimpanzee classified as Endangered.

Eastern Cameroon and the Southwest remains a major biodiversity hotspot and hosts some of the last significant populations of these great apes in Equatorial Africa.

However, increasing pressures on their habitats are putting their populations at risk. Key threats include poaching, habitat fragmentation, agricultural expansion, and industrial logging, among other human activities.

Some areas of particular conservation importance are the Deng Deng–Dja landscape in the East region and the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in the Southwest where forest habitats and wildlife corridors are increasingly fragmented.

Maintaining connectivity between these habitats is important for the movement, survival, and long-term conservation of great ape populations.

Protecting these species requires a combination of habitat protection, corridor management, wildlife monitoring, and community-based conservation.

Conservation measures include strengthening the management and protection of wildlife corridors, conducting regular surveys of threatened species, reducing hunting pressure, and supporting communities with sustainable alternatives to activities that threaten wildlife.

At ERuDeF, we believe that community involvement is central to conservation efforts which can help reduce pressure on natural resources while creating stronger incentives for sustainable management.

Through strengthening connectivity corridors, monitoring threatened species, reducing poaching, and working closely with communities, conservation actors can help safeguard the great apes and the wider biodiversity of Cameroon .
Conservation International Green Times Africa

🎉 27 YEARS OF ROOTS, GROWTH & IMPACT

On this day, 18 August 1999, a small but bold idea took legal life in Menji, Lebialem Division, South West Region, Cameroon and the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) was born.

Today, we are 27 years old, and what a journey it has been!

From our very first steps in Lebialem, ERuDeF has grown into a movement stretching across landscapes, communities, and now, continents all in service of our flagship species: the Cross River gorilla, the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, the African forest elephant, and other endangered species.

Our work today spans accross Cameroon, the Lake Chad Basin, the Gulf of Guinea Islands, the Congo Basin, and now East Africa protecting ecosystems and the communities who call them home, and standing between these species and the threats of poaching and trafficking.

Through ERuDeF University, we are building the next generation of African conservation leaders, equipping young minds with the knowledge to protect the continent's natural heritage.

Through ERuDeF Media Group, we're telling the untold stories of our forests, our flagship species, and the everyday heroes protecting them.

And through ERuDeF Bio-Business, we're proving that conservation and community livelihoods can grow together turning sustainable enterprise into a tool for protecting nature.

With ERuDeF Women in Conservation, we've placed women at the heart of environmental leadership because protecting our gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, takes every voice at the table.

And now, our wings are spreading further accross Africa, carrying the same mission that started in Menji 27 years ago: to save rainforests, protect species, and impact lives

None of this would have been possible without the trust, partnership, and generosity of our funders, partners, and allies across the globe. To every organization, donor, government partner, and community that has walked this journey with us,
THANK YOU.

The journey is far from over. There are more forests to protect, more species to save, and more communities to empower. But today, we pause. We look back. We celebrate.

Happy 27th Anniversary, ERuDeF!

World Elephant Day: Protecting Africa's Gentle Giants.

Every August 12th, the world pauses to celebrate one of nature's most magnificent creatures, the elephant. At ERuDeF, this day carries special meaning, because elephants are not just another species on our conservation list; they are one of our flagship species, alongside great apes, whose survival is tightly woven into the health of entire ecosystems.

Elephants are ecosystem engineers. As they move through forests and savannas, they disperse seeds, create clearings that allow new growth, and shape landscapes that countless other species depend on including humans.

When we protect elephants, we protect the forest, the water systems, and the biodiversity that sustains rural livelihoods across Cameroon and Africa

Guided by our Landscape-Based Approach, ERuDeF is working to secure a future for the African Forest Elephant across several key landscapes:

The Lebialem Highlands through initiatives like the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary and other corridors,we're reconnecting fragmented forest habitats so elephants can move safely between protected areas, reducing human-elephant conflict along the way.

From school environmental clubs to radio programs and awareness campaigns, we're building a generation of custodians who understand that coexistence not conflict is the path forward.

Elephants cannot speak for themselves. But through habitat corridors, community partnerships, and unrelenting fieldwork, ERuDeF is making sure their story continues.

This World Elephant Day, join us in celebrating and protecting the giants that hold our forests together.

Please kindly share the link for others to register.
NB: Registration/participation is FREE
👇👇👇click the link below to register
https://forms.gle/E1tEtKPc3S14gx268

Happy New Month from ERuDeF