Most of the rare and globally-important wildlife species in Liberia are threatened with extinction. Even though deforestation and habitat loss are significant causes of wildlife decline, the immediate threats are the illegal trade and consumption of bushmeat in Liberia and the Mano River Basin region. The illegal bushmeat trade is the unlawful, commercial, and unsustainable wildlife poaching for trade or meat.

Poachers use unselective and wasteful hunting methods such as cable snares, firearms, poisoning, hunting dogs, etc., to indiscriminately kill a wide range of species. As a result, the wildlife in Liberia’s protected areas are alarmingly low, and uncontrolled illegal hunting could easily result in the loss of several iconic species. Illegal hunting is also a threat to the wildlife heritage of Liberia and tourism-based sources of employment.

Rural communities depend on hunting wildlife for subsistence, and their ability to sustainably harvest wildlife is an essential part of their lives and well-being. Nevertheless, the benefits are often unsustainable because hunting iconic species like chimpanzees and other primates, elephants, antelopes, crocodiles, marine turtles, porcupines, several species of pangolin, etc. are wasteful. Hunting utilizes only a fraction of the wildlife killed because other financial values through tourism, trophy hunting, and legal game meat production are lost. Besides, bushmeat trade in Liberia has become increasingly commercialized due to elevated demand in rural areas, urban centers, and even overseas cities.