Nutrients From Bushmeat and Animals Like Rats Help People Survive

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization states that nearly 25 percent of the world's undernourished people live in the sub-Saharan Africa. But you would be amazed to know that these people can survive with the nutrient from wild animals. 

Wild animals like antelope, frogs and rodents that are difficult to trap, provide protein in places where traditional livestock are limited. The study highlights the fact that meat from wild animals is increasingly important in central Africa.

"The elephant or hippopotamus may provide food for an entire community, smaller antelope may feed a family, while a rat or lizard may quell the hunger of an individual. Alternatively, these species are often sold on the road side or at local markets to supply a much needed source of cash revenue," write researchers Louw Hoffman and Donna Cawthorn.

For this study the researchers Hoffman and Cawthorn focus on the nutritional value of wild animals. The cite the previous studies stating bushmeat contributes 20 to 90 percent of the animal protein eaten in many areas of Africa. Through the studies it was known that some bushmeat species are high in protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

"Besides the contribution of protein, the provision of calories from bushmeat cannot be overlooked and while the meat of many wild animals is low in fat, some species such as rats and porcupines are prized for their fatty consistencies," write Hoffman and Cawthorn.

But an ugly episode may arrive with an excess consumption. Increased consumption may create loss of biodiversity. The researchers give the example of the decline of primates in central Africa and the over-hunting of the manatee and pigmy hippopotamus in Ghana.

"This situation is exacerbated by the fact that international and domestic commercial and often illegal trade in bushmeat and other parts of wild animals is increasing and is largely outpacing legitimate subsistence hunting," write Hoffman and Cawthorn.

The suggest that 'semi-domestication' to be ideal alternative. Hoffman and Cawthorn write that rodents could easily be raised as food animals because of their quick rates of reproduction and simple care requirements.

"Besides supplying valuable protein, the meat of rodents also contains essential amino acids which are required in the human diet," they write.

Through this paper the researchers state the importance of wildlife outside Africa. They write about the consumption species like guinea pigs in South America, alligators in the United States and snakes in Asia.

"Today, up to 4,000 tons of snake meat are served annually in China, where this reptile's meat is commonly served in restaurants in cities such as Shanghai, Foshan, and Yangshuo," they write.

The study was published in the Animal Frontiers.