Again, "Bushmeat" Replenishes Their Plates

For Human Beings that we are, high up the Food Chain, eating meat  is one of the many means we go towards a source of protein |Animal protein] which we need as an energy provider ; and thus in the building up of our body cells |Body parts]

For many of my fellow countrymen over here, a good meal means in whatever kind of food he or she is eating, there should be meat in plentiful quantities. Common belief takes it that, the size of the pieces of meat in an individual’s soup gives a clear résumé that he or she is a somebody or a nobody in the community ; and thus, a person to reckon with or not.

For many city dwellers, « Bushmeat » is equal to remembering the good old days when they where young and growing in their different villages. Now, as adults who have moved to the big cities, they consider « Bushmeat » as a delicacy. So, whenever there comes an opportunity of travelling to the hinterlands comes their way, it is with genuine pleasure that these men and women make a halt at special meat eating petty business areas situated at strategic places on the many highways we have in the country. This, so that the many travellers passing-by always have a good display of what they do not often have in their plates, or of what they completely miss as being city dwellers ; thus, an opportunity to make these travellers salivate as much as possible. In whatever direction you take to move out of the big cities to the different villages, there exist special « stop spots », places where you find « roasted » or «smoked » meat ; Porcupine, Squirrel, Rat-mole and Antelope seasoned with onion, pepper and a combination of other local ingredients |Pepper soup]. And, the menu continues… https \\en.m.wikipedia.org\wiki\Bushmeat  

During the peaks of the Ebola epidemy in West Africa, local government officials over here gave strict orders for « Bushmeat » of any kind to be stopped. To the letter, the village populations obeyed to these instructions. On the other hand, the stopped hunting of these wild animals enabled them reproduce and multiply ten folds ; to the extent that even while walking on farm roads, you see these wild animals crossing from one side to the other. Hence, the business of «Bushmeat » went on. But, this time around, i twas carried out by smugglers who sold their catch in the «Black market» ; because afraid of the severe sanctions that would bafall them in case they were caught. In other words, «Bushmeat» was scarce and expensive.

The Ebola epidemy in West Africa is now under control, our government officials have relaxed their minds, and the eating of  « Bushmeat» has come up with full speed. It has again become common to see a man or a woman walking free, carrying a dead animal in the hand. Whosoever is prompt to buy this « Bushmeat » on the spot will have it. So long as he or she is good at bargaining. Potential risks of disease contamination are clearly known by all ; as many addicted  « Bushmeat » consumers i noticed ironically call what they eat « Ebola » ; a way of proving to themselves that they can eat the government forbidden meat and go free. All this despite the many health and sanitation campaigns done through out the country in order to alert the population of the many health hazards they undertake as they eat this meat.

As a W.H.O monitor |World Health Organization], i am working in consolidating a hand full of different  disease vaccination campaigns in Cameroon. This job makes me move from one extremity of the country to another ; be it a big city, a town or village. This July 1st, i was assigned to go for vaccination supervision |Poliomyelitis] in a locality situated deep in the Equatorial rainforest. Travelling to this locality, i noticed a major difference. The population here is geared towards  « Bushmeat ». In every restaurant i entered, i twas « Bushmeat » of different kinds that was proposed to me. Here, there is no room for « Beef » or « Chicken ». Personally, i went for fish.