This past weekend the group went on a trip to Kumasi. It was exciting to have a short work week and spend more time exploring other parts of Ghana. We left the house around 6am and had about a five hour bus ride to look forward to. The ride to Kumasi was full of tropical green plants, locals selling baked goods, fruit and vegetables out on display, and of course bushmeat. Many of us were eager for our first encounter with the eclectic meat, but did not fully know what to expect.
Men were standing on the side of the street holding up large animals for sale such as grasscutter, antelope, and hyenas. I had never seen anything like it before, I was both disgusted and intrigued. We asked Sonny, our tour guide/DJ, if he has ever tried it before. With a smile on his face he responded with, “Of course! It’s delicious!” While none of us ever dreamed of trying bushmeat it was cool to hear that people enjoyed eating it.
After this encounter, I became curious about the culture and practice surrounding bushmeat. While the practice of hunting these animals in tropical forests is a threat to biodiversity, for Ghanaians it is a source of food, income, and many consider it a delicacy. In the trade, it is typical for men to hunt the animals and for women to sell them to patrons at the market. Animals that are considered protected, such as hyenas, are not supposed to be hunted. If people are caught selling them they can be taken to court and fined. Although some consider bushmeat the freshest meat available, it can potentially carry life threatening diseases. While there are some definite downsides to the consumption of bushmeat, it is still an important part of the Ghanaian culture.
We got to interact a little more up-close with bushmeat when we visited a market in Kumasi. Sonny led us through a dark and covered structure and it was evident by the smell what we were about to see. In all honesty, I was mainly focused on not slipping in pools of blood and the exit, but a few things caught my eye. While Ghanaians were bartering to find the best deals on tonight’s dinner, there were rows of animal heads, organs, skins, hooves, and bodies surrounding us. What was interesting to see was, many of the locals were excited to see us there and take part of something that is culturally sacred to them.
Although I will not be trying bushmeat anytime soon, I can appreciate the culture and practice surrounding it.
