Saving the mysterious African manatee in Cameroon

Ever since his first hard-won sightings of African manatees, award-winning marine biologist Aristide Takoukam Kamla has been devoted to protecting the little-known and at-risk aquatic mammals.

African manatees are found in fresh water along the coast of western Africa, such as in Cameroon's vast Lake Ossa, where the researcher first saw them more than 10 years ago.

But they are shy creatures. Spotting them requires setting out before dawn, when the lake is glassy and tranquil - all the better for following the trails of bubbles and, maybe, just maybe, catching two big nostrils taking a quick breath.

"I was expecting to see them like on YouTube: in clear water, jumping like dolphins... a completely surreal idea" stemming from publications on manatees in Florida, said the 39-year-old Cameroonian.

The manatees' African cousins, however, are very different, and the then University of Dschang apprentice researcher had to row for a long time before being rewarded.

Thanks to local fishermen, Dr Takoukam Kamla has now learnt how to spot African manatees more easily within the dark depths of the 4,500ha Lake Ossa, part of a sprawling wildlife reserve in south-western Cameroon.

The African manatee is his favourite animal, the subject of his doctorate at the University of Florida - and the reason he won the 2024 prestigious Whitley Award, which recognises ground-breaking biodiversity work by grassroots conservationists.

ENDANGERED HABITAT, POACHING