arthog, Gourmantché hunting laws, cross-border fauna and regulated zones A vast and untamed eastern wilderness The Est Region of Burkina Faso is one of the country’s last true frontiers for wildlife. Stretching toward the borders of Niger, Benin, and Togo, this expansive territory includes open savannah, wooded plateaus, riverine forests, and seasonal floodplains. The W, Arly, and Singou protected areas form part of the WAP complex — a transboundary conservation zone of international significance. Though conservation is a key feature here, hunting has always been part of the landscape, practiced both as a regulated activity and a cultural tradition. In the remote corridors between national parks and pastoral lands, hunting continues to shape human-wildlife relations in quiet, persistent ways. Gourmantché heritage and the rhythms of the eastern bush Among the dominant communities in the East, such as the Gourmantché, hunting is historically embedded in ritual, territory, and personal discipline. The hunter is both provider and protector, someone believed to walk with ancestral permission. Traditional codes guide everything from the choice of animal to the rituals performed before and after the hunt. Offerings are made to trees, rivers, and spirits that guard the bush. In remote villages, the hunter is still seen as a mediator between nature and society — one who listens more than speaks, and who moves only when the land gives its silent consent. What sets Est apart as a hunting region in Burkina Faso The East is one of the only regions where legal trophy hunting zones still operate — particularly in the areas bordering Arly and Singou. These concessions attract both domestic and international hunters in pursuit of antelope, buffalo, and game birds. But beyond regulated zones, local subsistence hunting is widespread, especially in forest corridors and communal lands. The sheer scale of wilderness and biodiversity makes this region unique, offering a hunting experience that still echoes the older rhythms of West Africa’s wild heart. Species encountered and forest-savannah hunting methods The region is home to roan and hartebeest antelopes, oribi, duikers, bush pigs, waterbuck, warthogs, patas monkeys, and a variety of bird species, including guinea fowl and sandgrouse. In trophy zones, professional guides use spot-and-stalk methods with scoped rifles, but in rural areas, hunters still rely on wire snares, deadfall traps, homemade guns, and dogs. Tracking here requires reading dry grass patterns, interpreting dung piles, and listening to animal movement near waterholes. In some areas, fire is used carefully to flush game from bush during collective hunts. Legal frameworks and zones of regulated pursuit The East is one of the most heavily monitored regions in terms of wildlife law. Hunting here is governed by national legislation in collaboration with private concession holders and conservation authorities. Official hunting zones — often mapped adjacent to Arly or Singou — are licensed and seasonal, typically operating from December to May. Target species and quotas are strictly defined. Outside these zones, local hunting falls under both state law and community customs, often regulated informally through village leadership and seasonal taboos. Pressures on wildlife and a fragile ecological balance Despite its richness, the Est Region faces rising pressure from poaching, habitat fragmentation, and insecurity. Protected parks have seen declines in large mammals due to illegal hunting and bushmeat trade. Cross-border trafficking complicates enforcement, as animals migrate into neighboring countries with less coordinated oversight. However, eco-guards, NGOs, and local hunters are increasingly working together to protect key corridors. Some communities have banned hunting during calving seasons or created informal “no-hunt” sanctuaries near sacred groves or water sources. Spiritual codes and the ethics of the eastern hunt Among Gourmantché elders, it is said that every animal carries a spirit, and killing without reverence brings misfortune. Hunters pour libations to the earth before a major hunt, and the first piece of meat is often given to the eldest villager or to the fire. In certain villages, if a duiker is shot and runs wounded, the hunter must wait three days before hunting again — a pause to acknowledge pain and restore balance. Bones, hides, and horns are preserved not as trophies, but as ritual objects with specific family meanings. Legends, caution, and the unspoken language of the East It is whispered that near the Kompienga River, duikers vanish into trees if pursued improperly. In the bushlands of Pama, elders walk barefoot for miles in search of footprints invisible to younger eyes. One hunter swears he once followed a warthog only to find a fire already burning in the spot where it slept — a sign, he said, that the animal knew he was coming. These stories endure, reminding all who listen that the hunt is never only about the kill.