How Giant African Snails Will Rescue Cross River Gorillas
Giant African snail farms are being considered as a solution to curb down the bushmeat trade that continuously decimate the gorilla population at the border of Nigeria and Cameroon. What people need is an easy source of protein that will discourage them from pursuing the illegal trade of primate meat. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been working closely with the Nigerian government to do just that - give local population access to a sustainable source of protein. The International Development Research Centre has led research projects in Nigeria since the late 1990s in order to combat malnutrition in a population deprived of the bare necessities and for whom dairy products are not commonly available. Their findings concluded that the giant African snail was a natural local resource that would address population needs through systematic farming. Nutrition experts say that giant African snails are made of 15% protein, 2.4% fat and 80% water. They are also very ...