HABITAT AND THREATS TO THE ARBOREAL PANGOLIN POPULATION (PHATAGINUS TRICUSPIS) IN THE MONT KOUFFÉ PROTECTED FOREST (BENIN)

In Benin, due to habitat disturbance due to strong anthropogenic pressure, some pholidote species have become vulnerable or even threatened, as is the case with tree pangolins. Thus, the problem of wildlife conservation, especially that of pholidotes, becomes worrying. The overall objective of the study is to determine the preferred habitats and threats to the tree pangolin population in the Monts Kouffé protected forest. The method used to collect biogeographical data is based on surveys followed by forest surveys and interviews with the local population. Thus, clues of the presence of Phataginus tricuspis (smell of the animal, tree cavities, claws of the animal against trees in savannah, open forest, dense dry forest and gallery forest in the hunting areas of Manigri Ikanni, Manigri Oké, and Agbassa) were sought and this through excavations in the savannahs. The Menly Alpha Habitat Preference Index was calculated to determine the habitat preference of the tree pangolin and the frequency of threat observations on this animal population. The species frequents open forests, gallery forests, dense-dry forests, wooded savannahs, shrub savannahs. But nevertheless, it has a strong preference for dense dry forests with the Menly alpha index equal to 0.8. The decline of the species’ populations is facilitated by several factors that constitute direct or indirect threats affecting the distribution of the species. These threats are: deforestation (49.05%), illegal hunting (22.64%), human occupations (13.20%), transhumance (7.54%) and wildland fires (7.54%).