Cane rat breeding in northern Ghana offers hope for improved food security and wildlife conservation in Africa

In March 2014, the Wildlife Research Center (WRC) of Kyoto University and the University of Ghana jointly launched a three-year project to breed, in captivity, greater cane rats, a species of rodent also known as "grasscutters". This ongoing initiative, being undertaken with support from the Grassroots Technical Cooperation Program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), recently marked a milestone in the form of some of the grasscutters in captivity having given birth to healthy offspring.

Background notes

WRC and the College of Agriculture & Consumer Sciences (CACS), University of Ghana, have been collaborating on research activities since 2009, when the two institutes concluded a cooperation agreement.

Meanwhile, in Ghana, 30% population growth over the last decade has resulted in serious food shortages whose effects are especially dire in the country's northern region. This is putting major strain on the local ecosystem because the people have little choice but to rely on wildlife hunting as a means of satisfying their animal protein requirements. Again, the problem is most severe in the northern part of the country, where the climate is not favorable for cattle or hog breeding.

It was against this backdrop that the researchers from WRC and CACS decided to work on breeding greater cane rats, which are native to Africa and are a popular food source for locals. The goal is to develop grasscutter propagation into a stable source of animal protein.

Timeline

The project commenced in July 2014 at designated farms in northern Ghana, a region with an inhospitable climate and limited sources of animal protein. The team worked on developing an efficient breeding process, applying its expertise in genetic diversity conservation and sanitary control. Some rats in captivity produced their first offspring in September 2015 and Kyoto-based project members visited the project site in October to confirm the existence of five healthy young animals.

Implications

Since grasscutter meat is a popular foodstuff across Sub-Saharan Africa, making it obtainable from captivity-bred animals can contribute to improved food supply situations and economies in more than a few countries in the region. In addition, this could serve as a new approach to wildlife conservation because the availability of animal protein from this new source may reduce the need for hunting.

What's next?

The project team intends to build on its success by developing an efficient grasscutter breeding process and meat-processing methods that will enable long-term storage and facilitate distribution. It also plans to work with the University of Ghana on providing support and training for an increasing number of participating farmers and leaders.