Valorisation du porc-épic à crête (Hystrix cristata) par les communautés des réserves de biosphère de Pendjari et du W (Bénin)

Increasing demand for bushmeat in Africa is threatening many species with extinction. Some, such as the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) are still being hunted in several African countries for their meat, which is much prized by local populations, but also for their quills. The crested porcupine is a little known species with several specific characteristics. It is the only member of the Hystricidae family in Benin and is hunted for various purposes, including for food as a source of protein for local populations, and for traditional medicine. Through surveys, interviews, informal discussions and field observations, we investigated the uses made of crested porcupines by communities living in Benin’s Pendjari and W biosphere reserves. They are used for four main purposes: as food, in the pharmacopeia, for trade and to make ornaments. In terms of frequency, 100% of our interviewees used them for food, 80.3% for traditional medicine, 37.5% for trade and 2.2% for ornaments and handicrafts. The body parts with the highest Use Values (UV), for all uses taken together, were the flesh and skin for meat (UV = 1,00), the quills (UV = 0.76) and the stomach (UV = 0.42). Effective management of the crested porcupine and its habitat would require more in-depth research, particularly on its economic importance and possibilities for captive breeding.