We cannot really say if there are Cameroonian traditional foods cooked with bats but in Cameroon’s forest areas, there are people who are fond of this meat. By the way, a native of Mazabe, a village in the eastern region, said that bats are most of the time on their menu during traditional feasts. Moreover, a research conducted in 2015, by the international union for the conservation of nature (UICN) revealed that “compared to other bush meats, bats’ consumption is insignificant in Cameroon. That meat is a delicacy in Bomboko where it is sold to restaurants for local consumption”.

Chinese

However, though insignificant, this consumption troubles leading actors involved in the fight against Ebola, as bats are labeled by scientists as a “natural and potential vessel for Ebola virus”.

In Douala, the Bonanjo administrative district is the hunting ground for some bats’ meat lovers. In that district, bats, perched on the many mango trees which border the roads, are part of the resident's daily life.

Monique Ngo Mayag