The Gambia’s Hunters Association is facing fresh criticism after presenting a dead crocodile to President Adama Barrow during a meeting in Sandou Kirau Arafang on Sunday. The gesture, meant as a show of respect, has instead drawn public backlash and renewed questions about the country’s wildlife protection laws.
Many Gambians say the act violates the Wildlife Conservation Act, which protects several species and regulates hunting. The reaction was swift on social media, where rights advocate Madi Jobarteh condemned the presentation as both unlawful and inconsistent with national calls to protect the environment.
“Revive the forest and preserve the wildlife, yet you kill a crocodile for fun. What a contradiction,” he wrote. Jobarteh argued that the president should have refused the animal and reminded the hunters of the law. He urged the Department of Wildlife to act, saying he hopes authorities will pursue legal steps against what he described as a blatant violation of existing regulations.
This is not the first time the Hunters Association has presented wildlife to the president. During a previous presidential tour, Barrow accepted a hippopotamus from the same group at his home in Mankamang Kunda. That incident also drew criticism, but no legal action followed.
The latest episode has revived a debate about the government’s commitment to conservation and the message such public displays send. For many watching, the concern goes beyond one crocodile. It touches on a larger question of whether laws meant to protect the country’s remaining wildlife are being upheld, especially when violations occur in the presence of the head of state.
As of now, the Department of Wildlife has not issued a public statement on the incident.
