Wildlife of
Liberia

Primary Threats

• Industrial concessions and informal/illegal timber extraction-especially along road networks and in forest landscapes surrounding protected areas-fragment Upper Guinean rainforest, degrade high-value habitat for forest elephants and primates, and increase access for hunters. Governance improvements exist, but enforcement and chain-of-custody controls remain uneven in remote counties.
• Artisanal and small-scale gold and diamond mining causes localized deforestation, river siltation, and mercury/chemical contamination risks, particularly in forested watersheds. Large-scale mining footprints and associated settlements/roads can also convert habitat and intensify human pressure around biodiverse areas (e.g., Nimba region).
• Shifting cultivation, cocoa expansion, and large plantation crops (notably rubber and oil palm) convert and fragment forests and wetlands, especially outside formally protected areas. Expansion often follows new access routes and can encroach on community forests and key wildlife corridors.
• Net forest and wetland loss occurs through the combined effects of logging, agriculture, mining, settlement growth, and mangrove cutting. Fragmentation is a particular concern in the southeast and in coastal zones where mangroves and wetlands are converted or heavily harvested.
• Bushmeat hunting remains widespread for food and income, facilitated by forest roads and logging/mining camps. This directly reduces populations of primates, duikers, and other forest fauna and can impact threatened species near and even within protected areas where patrol coverage is limited.
• Illegal trade in live animals and parts (e.g., primates, pangolins and other wildlife) persists through local markets and cross-border routes. Demand can be domestic or regional, and weak detection capacity at transport nodes enables movement of wildlife products.
• As farms expand into forest edges, crop-raiding and occasional property damage from wildlife (including primates and, where present, forest elephants) can provoke retaliatory killing or increased tolerance for hunting. Conflict is most acute near forest-farm boundaries and along corridor areas.
• Coastal and nearshore fisheries face heavy pressure from artisanal fishing and incursions by industrial fleets, reducing fish stocks and affecting food security. Weak monitoring, control, and surveillance at sea increases illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing risks.
• Mining-related sedimentation and potential mercury/chemical use, urban waste mismanagement (notably around Monrovia), and oil/fuel spills from maritime activity degrade freshwater and coastal habitats. Plastic and solid waste also affect beaches and turtle nesting areas.
• Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns threaten forest resilience and increase flood/erosion risks. Sea-level rise and storm surge intensify coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion, impacting mangroves, coastal wetlands, and low-lying communities that depend on these ecosystems.
• Road building linked to logging, mining, and agricultural development opens previously remote forests, accelerating deforestation, land conversion, and hunting access. New infrastructure can also disrupt wildlife movement by fragmenting habitat and increasing edge effects.
• Heavy reliance on fuelwood and charcoal (including mangrove wood in some coastal areas) drives localized forest degradation near settlements and along transport routes. Overharvesting of non-timber forest products can also pressure certain plant and wildlife resources.
• Encroachment, temporary camps, and settlement expansion around protected areas increase disturbance, fire risk, and opportunistic hunting. Limited staffing and logistics for ranger teams can make it difficult to maintain consistent presence across large, rugged forest landscapes.