Manatee Hunter Arrested in Togo

Photo courtesy of Gabriel Segniagbeto

A well-known manatee hunter has been arrested in Togo and over 20 skulls and 17 other bones confiscated, thanks to the great work of a Togolese organization called Alliance Nationale des Consumateurs et de l'Environment (ANCE). Click here to see the story and photos. I heard about this hunter as far back as 2008 when I was in Togo to attend the Convention of Migratory Species meetings where we wrote an MOU and Action Plan for the African manatee. But at that time the Togolese people I met felt there was no way to have the guy arrested. Here's hoping this will greatly help conservation of Togo's remaining manatees, which appear to be in extreme danger of being hunted out. I'm in contact with ANCE and hoping to help them get manatee research and educational programs started there.