Historically protected by cultural traditions, sacred forests are now increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures, particularly in West Africa, where natural areas and wildlife populations have dwindled as human populations have increased exponentially. Residents in the vicinity of sacred forests play critical roles in conservation success or failure, but few studies have investigated their views. We surveyed 281 residents representing ~100% of households surrounding the sacred forest of Nakpadjoak, a 50-hectare remnant of Sudan-Guinea woodland savanna in northern Togo that is now surrounded by human-dominated landscapes. The majority of residents believe that the sacred forest should be protected (92%) and that access to the forest should be prohibited (55%). Most residents own livestock (93%) and reported that the forest has become a pasture for domestic animals (70%) while wildlife populations have declined (79%). Two-thirds of residents (64%) reported that the forest has changed due to wood cutting, a practice that occurs despite being banned. Most (96%) residents use wood as their primary source of domestic energy, but 90% would switch to alternative fuels, such as natural gas, if available. Unfortunately, despite residents’ desire to protect the forest and external funding for its protection and restoration, Nakpadjoak forest has become increasingly degraded due to ongoing exploitation and conflicts of interest surrounding its use. We recommend bolstering local prohibitions on sacred forest exploitation as well as government interventions such as subsidizing natural gas as an alternative to wood fuel to support the conservation of this and other protected areas in the region, which may otherwise be destroyed.

Protected area management plays a crucial role in conserving biodiversity, especially in areas where increasing demand for natural resources is associated with fast-growing human populations, such as West Africa. Investigating the perceptions of people with first-hand knowledge of protected area management provides important insights about biodiversity conservation, wildlife law enforcement, and human activities to inform adaptive management. Using 442 semi-structured interviews, we assessed the perceptions of park rangers and local residents in and around Fazao-Malfakassa National Park in Togo, West Africa, which was managed by the non-profit Franz Weber Foundation from 1990 to 2015, and since 2015 has been managed by the government of Togo. Both rangers and residents reported significant economic concerns following the park’s transfer from private to state management, with salary declines negatively affecting rangers and declines in community development projects and income-generating activities negatively affecting residents. Law enforcement capacity and resources also declined under state management, severely undermining the ability of rangers to curb illegal activities in the park, especially poaching and the destruction of trees to harvest wild honey and produce commercial charcoal. All rangers and most residents who had experience with both private and state park management preferred private management. There is an urgent need to increase surveillance and law enforcement capacity in the park to combat poaching and other illegal activities, and to engage local communities in the park’s long-term protection. To this end, rangers and residents are calling for change, and specifically recommend returning the park to competent private management to safeguard Togo’s last large refuge for nature and wildlife.